Military Human Rights Center Reveals Allegations of Abuse of Power by Park Jungtaek
Staff Mobilized for Child's Wedding and Personal Hobbies
It has been alleged that Lieutenant General Park Jungtaek, commander of the Army Capital Corps, abused his authority by giving personal orders to his secretariat staff, such as registering his wife for swimming lessons in person and acting as an intermediary for secondhand transactions.
Im Taehoon (left), director of the Center for Military Human Rights, is holding a press conference at the Human Rights Center office in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News
According to Yonhap News on the 29th, the Center for Military Human Rights held a press conference that day and stated, "We have received multiple reports regarding the abuse of authority suffered by secretariat staff at the hands of Commander Park and his family from last year through early this year," and released related messages and audio files.
According to the center, in March last year, Commander Park instructed a secretariat staff member, "Your madam has knee problems and needs to exercise, so please look into it," directing the staff to check how to register for an aquarobics class at a swimming pool and to apply on his wife's behalf. The class registration was on a first-come, first-served basis and required on-site registration, so the staff reportedly waited outside the pool from 4 a.m. An audio file released by the center included a conversation in which Commander Park's wife, identified as Ms. A, called a staff member to discuss her preferred class times.
There were also allegations that secretariat staff were mobilized for Commander Park's child's wedding. It was claimed that on the day of the wedding, Commander Park assigned a staff member to drive, check the number of guests, guide guests to their seats, and carry luggage, all as personal tasks.
Additionally, secretariat staff were mobilized for Commander Park's hobbies. The center explained that Commander Park instructed staff to act as intermediaries for secondhand transactions, such as for the cage of his pet parrot, and to secure VIP tickets for sports events. Furthermore, it was alleged that he ordered staff to handle all aspects of managing his official residence, including harvesting persimmons, tending the flower beds, feeding pets when the residence was empty, and shopping for guests.
The center claimed that Commander Park directed these abuses not at officers, but at non-commissioned officers. The center stated, "The Capital Corps commander would not give personal orders when several secretariat staff were gathered in the office, but would make unreasonable requests only when alone with non-commissioned officers. This shows he was clearly aware that such personal orders could become problematic if made known externally."
The center also pointed out that, even after the 2017 'Park Chanju General's Residence Abuse Case,' abuse of authority in the military has not been eradicated. "There needs to be an inspection of the working conditions of all military aides, including secretariat and aide positions that support the general staff, and measures must be put in place to prevent commanders and their families from treating soldiers like slaves," the center urged.
Meanwhile, the Army stated regarding the allegations against Commander Park, "We are thoroughly verifying the facts," adding, "The Army Headquarters Inspector General's team is conducting an on-site investigation into the reports, and appropriate action will be taken according to the results of the investigation."
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