Controversy over Jeong Ho-young sparks fears of 'Jo Guk Season 2'... Jo Guk says "My daughter’s diary was even seized in the search"

Controversy Over Child's 'Appa Chance'... Suspicions of Overseas Business Trip
Concerns from People Power Party About Becoming the Second Jo Guk
Jung Ho-young to Respond to Allegations at National Medical Center on 17th at 2 PM

Jung Ho-young, Minister of Health and Welfare nominee [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] As allegations surrounding Jeong Ho-young, Minister of Health and Welfare, intensify, he has announced a press conference to clarify the issues. Meanwhile, former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk has continuously criticized the prosecution and Jeong regarding the 'children's admission bribery allegations.'

On the 16th, 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 was initially judged as 'active duty' in his first military service examination but was changed to a 4th-grade social service agent five years later. The necessary medical certificate was issued by Kyungpook National University Hospital, where Jeong was working, and his son served as a social service agent from February 2019 to December 2020.

In response, the confirmation hearing preparation team explained, "Jeong's son received a 2nd-grade judgment in his first physical examination at age 19 in 2010, and later, in September 2013, when he was a sophomore preparing for college entrance exams and studying, he was diagnosed with a spinal disease." They added, "According to the Military Service Act, he was notified to undergo a re-examination five years later in 2015. He went to the examination site with the spinal disease diagnosis certificate for the second physical examination, but the military medical officer took a CT scan to verify directly and judged him as 4th-grade." They claimed, "The assignment of Jeong's son as a social service agent was conducted fairly according to legal procedures."

There are also allegations that Jeong himself went on a leisure trip to the United States while serving as the director of Kyungpook National University Hospital.

Previously, suspicions arose regarding the process of Jeong's son and daughter transferring to Kyungpook National University College of Medicine as undergraduates. With the military service allegations and leisure trip suspicions added, it is reported that even within the People Power Party, voices of concern have emerged, calling it 'Cho Kuk Season 2.'

The camp of President-elect Yoon stated on the 15th, "We intend to observe the verification process until it takes place in the National Assembly," expressing a stance to monitor the situation until the confirmation hearing. However, they cannot help but be on high alert due to the worsening public opinion.

Accordingly, Jeong plans to hold a press conference today at 2 p.m. in the auditorium on the 9th floor of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, to directly respond to the allegations raised so far.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk has repeatedly criticized the prosecution regarding the allegations of unfair admission of Jeong's children.

Today, Cho posted on his Facebook, "What is the prosecution doing, which conducted all-out raids under the instruction of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl before the August 2019 confirmation hearing?"

He added, "They must be watching the reactions of President-elect Yoon Seok-youl and Justice Minister nominee Han Dong-hoon," and "No media is pointing this out."

In another post sharing an article titled 'Unprecedented Raids Before Cho Kuk's Hearing, Controversy Over Prosecution's Political Intervention,' he mentioned that the prosecution seized the diary of Cho's daughter, Cho Min, from her middle school days. He also shared an article titled 'Allegations of Special Treatment in Jeong Ho-young's Children's Medical School Transfer Seen Through Cho Kuk's Lens.'

Yesterday, Cho also criticized the prosecution, asking, "Why doesn't the prosecution, which used to talk about 'investigating the living power' (Sal-gwon-su), conduct immediate raids?"