Jeongeun Kyung, nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare and former inaugural Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, has been reported to the police over allegations that her spouse held stocks related to COVID-19 during her tenure.
Jeongeun Kyung, nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare, is answering questions as she arrives at the confirmation hearing preparation office set up on Namdaemunro, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On July 1, the Citizens' Committee for Public Welfare announced that it had filed a complaint against Kyung with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of abuse of authority, breach of duty, and violation of the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act.
The committee stated, "While Kyung, as Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency during the COVID-19 pandemic, was urging the public to wear masks and use self-diagnostic kits, it was revealed that her spouse purchased stocks in companies producing these items. Furthermore, the COVID-19-related stocks held by her spouse at that time were more numerous than previously reported in 2022, but some were omitted or the actual amounts received were understated in the materials recently submitted to the presidential office."
Previously, on the day before, Kyung responded, "There is a lot of misinformation regarding these allegations," and added, "I will explain the facts to the public based on the actual circumstances during the confirmation hearing process."
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