Rep. Park Junghoon Raises Allegations of Inadequate Military Service by Nominee Bae
"Completed Doctoral Coursework During Military Service"
Bae Kyunghoon, the nominee for Minister of Science and ICT, addressed suspicions regarding inadequate military service, stating on July 1, "I believe I fulfilled my duties as a specialized research personnel faithfully."
On his way to work at the hearing preparation office at Gwanghwamun Post Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Bae responded to reporters asking about the controversy over his military service, adding, "I will be able to provide more detailed explanations during the hearing."
Previously, Park Junghoon, a member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee from the People Power Party, raised allegations of inadequate service regarding Bae's military service. According to Park, Bae served as an alternative military service specialized research personnel at Samsung Thales for approximately four years and eight months, from 2003 to 2008.
However, Park stated that during the same period, Bae completed an MBA program at California Southern University and a graduate program at Stanford University in the United States. Park criticized, "Neither of these educational programs is directly related to scientific and technological research, which is the purpose of the specialized research personnel system," adding, "These are activities focused on personal development in management and administration."
He also pointed out that multiple overseas training programs overlapped during Bae's service period, raising questions as to "whether he actually fulfilled his service properly."
Park said, "We should not only consider whether he met the legal requirements, but also examine his attitude toward fulfilling his military duty," and added, "If he used the military service exception system, which was established to foster highly skilled research personnel, as a means for personal career development, it would be a distortion of the system's purpose."
He continued, "Compared to the many young people who have faithfully completed their military service, there could be significant concerns about fairness and a sense of relative deprivation," and emphasized, "It is necessary to clarify the facts before the public and provide a responsible explanation."
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