"Claims That Favoritism Is Worth Suspecting"
Hwang Bo-seung-hee, a member of the People Power Party, is questioning Jeong Jae-hoon, President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, during a comprehensive audit of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee held at the National Assembly on October 23 last year. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Hwang Bo-seunghee, a member of the People Power Party, raised allegations of favoritism regarding Cho Min, the daughter of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who is reported to have been accepted as an intern at Hanil Hospital under the Korea Electric Power Corporation Medical Foundation. She pointed out that the wife of Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, works at the hospital.
On the 5th, Hwang posted on her Facebook, saying, "There are rumors within the hospital that Cho Min passed the intern screening as the top candidate," and added, "If she failed at the hospital (National Medical Center) that selected nine interns but was accepted as the top candidate at Hanil Hospital, where the wife of Assemblyman Jeong Cheong-rae is the department head, it is reasonable to suspect favoritism."
Hwang’s claim is based on the intern selection results of Hanil Hospital obtained by the People Power Party on the previous day (the 4th).
According to the data, Cho Min was accepted in the '2021 Resident (Intern) 1st Round Late Recruitment' at Hanil Hospital. It is reported that a total of three people were finally accepted in this intern recruitment.
On the 4th, Hwang also criticized Cho Min in a statement, saying, "The thought of her wearing a white coat with the name tag 'Doctor Cho Min' and caring for patients is extremely unsettling."
She continued, "Considering the position of the medical staff at Hanil Hospital who have to work alongside accomplices of the Busan National University Medical School admission fraud case, and the patients who have to face her at the bedside, it is appropriate that Cho Min does not do an internship," urging, "I hope she clears her charges first."
She further pointed out, "Rather than causing irreparable harm as an unqualified medical professional, it is not too late to wait for the trial results and then do the internship accordingly."
Meanwhile, Jeong Gyeong-sim, a professor at Dongyang University and wife of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 500 million won on December 23 last year in the first trial for charges including her daughter Cho Min’s admission fraud and private equity fund suspicions, and was taken into custody in court.
Regarding this, former Minister Cho Kuk wrote on Facebook on the 4th, "I understand that my daughter’s status will be decided through the school’s administrative review according to relevant laws after the court’s final judicial judgment," and stated, "My daughter will sincerely and seriously explain herself during this process, which could bring significant disadvantages to her personal status."
He added, "Recently, there have been malicious false reports related to my daughter’s hospital internship application, resulting in personal information leaks and indiscriminate attacks both online and offline," emphasizing, "I hope my daughter, as a citizen, can be guaranteed at least minimal human rights."
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