On the 19th, Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, suddenly revealed on his Facebook the application form he submitted during the selection process for the first Software (SW) Maestro program by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy in 2010. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, personally revealed the application form he submitted during the selection process for the first Software (SW) Maestro program by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy in 2010. This was in response to recent allegations from the ruling party accusing him of applying for the SW Maestro program, for which he was not qualified while serving as an industrial technical personnel, raising suspicions related to military service and preferential treatment, which he has actively denied.
On the 19th, Lee posted on his Facebook along with a photo of the application form, stating, "To completely shatter the last hope of those still struggling, I will show it clearly," and added, "The application form clearly states 'industrial technical personnel'." He further explained, "It was not hidden anywhere; it was plainly written in the basic information section. I inquired with the Korea Information Technology Industry Promotion Agency and was instructed to fill it out that way, so I did."
On the same day, Lee also refuted allegations related to his 'preferential treatment' in another post. He said, "At first, they grandly talked about forgery of private documents and obstruction of business, but now they say it’s not a legal issue but 'preferential treatment'." He added, "I applied clearly stating I was a graduate, and the announcement of successful candidates also indicated graduates, so they must have realized by now that the allegations are baseless."
Lee also warned, "I am watching those who broadcast and make noise about forgery of private documents and obstruction of business to see how far they will go," and said, "Once the watching is over, I will respond separately. Those hiding behind parliamentary immunity given by the people to do such things in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee may be exempt from legal responsibility, but politically they must bear responsibility."
On the 19th, Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, suddenly revealed the application form he submitted during the selection process for the first Software (SW) Maestro program by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy in 2010 on his Facebook. [Photo by Facebook capture]
These remarks by Lee appear to be aimed at ruling party lawmakers who raised various suspicions about him. The previous day, Kim Yong-min, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the party’s Supreme Council meeting and said, "Among the various suspicions related to Lee Jun-seok, the suspicion that he participated in a national project for which he was not qualified while serving as industrial technical personnel seems to have reasonable grounds," and urged, "If the suspicion is true, it means Lee deprived some young person of an opportunity to participate in the program, so we await the truth to be revealed."
Kim explained, "In 2010, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy selected trainees to nurture talent in the software field, but the announcement stipulated that only those currently enrolled in university or graduate school as of the announcement date could apply," and added, "The program provided scholarships ranging from 1 million to 2 million won in stages." He then questioned, "Why did Lee, who had already graduated in 2007 and was serving alternative military service as industrial technical personnel, apply for this?" and claimed, "If someone who was not qualified applied falsely and even received scholarships, it could constitute fraud beyond obstruction of business."
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