The spouse of Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Eun-kyung has sold all of their holdings in listed stocks, including shares in a distillery company that had sparked a 'conflict of interest' controversy.
On July 28, Minister Chung responded to a written inquiry submitted to the National Assembly after her confirmation hearing regarding her spouse's stock transactions, stating, "After the confirmation hearing, all listed stocks held by my spouse have been sold." Minister Chung also said, "During my term as minister and for a certain period after my term ends, I plan not to engage in any new stock transactions."
As of June 29, the listed stocks owned by Minister Chung's spouse included 5,000 shares of Changhae Ethanol, 400 shares of Samsung Electronics, 4,790 shares of LG Uplus, 500 shares of LG Display, and 5,700 shares of Shinhan Financial Group. Among these, the holding of Changhae Ethanol drew criticism during the confirmation hearing, as the company expanded its business to include hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, raising concerns about the appropriateness of Minister Chung's family, at the time the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, holding stocks related to COVID-19. However, Minister Chung stated during the hearing, "I have known it as a distillery company and have held the stock long-term since 2016. I have not realized any profit through selling these shares."
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