Prosecutors Summon Park Administration Expert... Investigate if Ministry of Gender Equality Has Precedent for 'Developing Election Promises'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution investigating the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's 'presidential election pledge development suspicion' is summoning a former policy committee expert from the previous administration to verify whether there was any precedent.

According to the legal community on the 21st, the Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Kyung-geun) is currently questioning Mr. A, a People Power Party official who served as an expert committee member for the Gender Equality Committee.

Mr. A worked as an expert committee member for the Gender Equality Committee in the policy committee of the Liberty Korea Party, the ruling party during the Park Geun-hye administration. The prosecution is reportedly asking Mr. A whether he ever requested materials to be used in preparing election pledges from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family or received assistance from public officials.

The prosecution is investigating allegations that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, ahead of the 20th presidential election, received a request from a Democratic Party expert committee member of the ministry to provide materials for election pledges and subsequently handed over a policy draft.

To verify whether similar cases occurred in other ministries besides the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the prosecution sent a cooperation letter last month to various administrative ministries requesting them to identify and submit any instances where they were asked to provide pledge materials by a National Assembly expert committee member affiliated with a specific political party or a party official.

Additionally, the prosecution summoned a ministry official from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the same day to investigate the instructions received and the decision-making process during the drafting of the pledge. Previously, former Minister Jeong Young-ae and former Vice Minister Kim Kyung-sun were summoned and questioned as suspects, and Democratic Party expert committee members and policy directors also appeared before the prosecution for investigation.