"Already Verified at the Confirmation Hearing... Qualification Requirements Met"
Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung expressed strong regret over the allegations raised in the National Assembly regarding preferential employment of his daughter at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He stated that she was lawfully hired in accordance with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recruitment procedures.
Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung is responding to reporters' questions on the morning of the 10th at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. 2025.03.10 Photo by Yoon Dong-joo
On the 25th, Prosecutor General Shim issued a statement through the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, saying, "The eldest daughter of the Prosecutor General was hired as a researcher at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy through a fair and transparent process based on the recruitment announcement," adding, "This was already thoroughly explained and verified during the confirmation hearing process."
He further explained that the recruitment announcement at the time stated, "The start date of work was April 1 of last year, and the qualification requirement was a master's degree holder in the relevant field," and said, "At the time of application, the eldest daughter was a prospective master's degree recipient and submitted a certificate of expected master's degree conferral, and she obtained the master's degree before the start date, thus meeting the qualification requirements."
Prosecutor General Shim also emphasized, "The recruitment process currently underway at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is being conducted transparently and fairly in accordance with relevant laws, as stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The eligibility criteria at the time were "a master's degree holder in the field of international politics with more than two years of practical experience in the relevant field, proficiency in English writing and speaking, etc." It was explained that the eldest daughter met all the qualifications, including over two years of practical experience as a researcher at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, a research assistant at Seoul National University Graduate School of International Studies, and an intern at a UN-affiliated organization, as well as a perfect TOEIC score.
Prosecutor General Shim said, "My eldest daughter approached the recruitment process through her own efforts, just like any other young person in the Republic of Korea, and she has agreed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' request to provide personal information for submission of materials to the National Assembly," adding, "I express strong regret over the continuous baseless allegations against my family."
On the previous day, Rep. Han Jeong-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea raised suspicions at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting that Prosecutor General Shim's daughter was finally hired as a permanent researcher at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs despite not meeting the qualification requirements.
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the preferential treatment allegations on the same day, stating, "The recruitment process is being conducted transparently and fairly in accordance with relevant laws. The candidate has passed the document screening and interview stages and is currently undergoing a background check."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
