Son Diagnosed as Social Service Agent Due to Spinal Disease... 85 Hours of Volunteer Work Including Patient Transport
Undergraduate Student Participates as Co-Author on Paper While Taking 19 Credits
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Following allegations that the child of Jeong Ho-young, nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare, used 'dad's connections' during the medical school transfer process, new suspicious circumstances surrounding his son's military service evaluation have been confirmed, intensifying the controversy.
According to In Jae-geun, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, Jeong's son (31) was initially classified as active duty (Grade 2) in his first military service physical examination but was reclassified five years later as a social service agent candidate (Grade 4). The medical certificate for the re-examination was issued by Kyungpook National University Hospital, where Jeong was working, and his son served as a social service agent at Daegu District Court from February 2019 to December 2020.
Regarding this, the personnel hearing preparation team for the Minister of Health and Welfare nominee explained that Jeong's son was diagnosed with a spinal disease (spinal stenosis) in September 2013, when he was a sophomore in college. The team stated, "According to the Military Service Act, he was notified to undergo a re-examination in October 2015, five years later. On November 6, he went to the physical examination center with a spinal disease diagnosis certificate for the second physical exam, but the military medical examiner took a CT scan for direct confirmation and then classified him as Grade 4. The assignment of Jeong's son as a social service agent was conducted fairly according to proper procedures."
It was also revealed that Jeong's son took 19 credits while enrolled at Kyungpook National University in 2015 and worked as a "student researcher for 40 hours per week." In particular, he was listed as a co-author on two papers as an undergraduate, raising suspicions about whether it was physically possible to balance both academics and research. In response, Jeong explained, "The lecture halls and research labs are in the same building, so it was possible to manage both academics and research."
Earlier, suspicions had also arisen regarding the process by which Jeong's son and daughter transferred into Kyungpook National University College of Medicine. His daughter transferred in 2017 (academic year 2017) while Jeong was serving as the director (vice president) of Kyungpook National University Hospital's medical department in 2016, and his son was admitted through a special transfer screening for the College of Medicine in 2018, after Jeong became the hospital director the previous year.
Both his daughter and son had volunteer experience at Kyungpook National University Hospital before transferring, which they also listed in their transfer application documents. Notably, despite suffering from a spinal disease, his son reportedly volunteered for as many as 85 hours in 2015 at Kyungpook National University Hospital, assisting with patient transport and other activities, raising questions about whether he easily built his credentials by leveraging his father's connections.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Jeong recently hurriedly disposed of some farmland he owned. According to the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi, an application for farmland acquisition qualification was submitted on the 12th for a 1,571㎡ rice paddy located in Dogae-myeon, Gumi City, North Gyeongsang Province, registered under Jeong's name. Although Jeong owns this rice paddy and a field, he does not farm them himself, leading to suspicions of violating the Farmland Act.
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