Kim Nam-guk "Phone call from Chu Mi-ae's aide seems true... No external pressure"

"(The call) was inappropriate, but whether the call was made is more important"

Kim Nam-guk, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Regarding the allegations of preferential treatment during the military service of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's son, Seo Mo, the ruling party acknowledged the fact that a former aide to Minister Choo, during her time as a member of the National Assembly, made a phone call to the relevant military unit and expressed the opinion that it was "inappropriate."

On the 4th, Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and admitted regarding the aide's phone call to the military unit, "I confirmed through the Ministry of National Defense, and it seems that the aide did make the call."

However, he added, "I checked the facts, and they said 'Minister Choo Mi-ae did not directly give the order.'"

When the host questioned, "Is that an acceptable explanation?" Representative Kim said, "I also think that part was inappropriate," but added, "However, the most important thing is who made the call and what kind of call it was." This is interpreted to mean that there was no intention to exert undue pressure on the unit commander, but rather a simple inquiry about whether Seo's sick leave could be extended.

Representative Kim emphasized, "I heard that the call was with the support officer who answered the phone, and according to the support officer, it was a complaint-type inquiry simply asking whether sick leave could be taken or extended," adding, "It is difficult to see it as undue pressure."

On the afternoon of the 1st, a plenary meeting was held in the meeting room of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, where Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Justice, is seen conversing with Choi Jae-hyung, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and Cho Jae-yeon, Chief of the Judicial Administration Office. / Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the suspicion that the leave records of Minister Choo's son were not properly maintained, he explained, "There is a record of the commander's approval for the leave in the 'Korean Military Personnel Network,' which keeps detailed records of soldiers' personnel-related data."

He added, "It is absurd to accuse someone of desertion from duty because the unit omitted administrative records after a soldier was granted leave and went out," and said, "The criticism regarding Minister Choo's son's leave is inappropriate."

Representative Kim's remarks on the day contrast with Minister Choo's previous outright denial of the related allegations. Earlier, Minister Choo dismissed the allegation that her aide made a phone call to Seo's military unit, stating that "there is no such fact."

On the 1st, during a Budget and Accounts Special Committee session at the National Assembly, when Park Hyung-soo, a member of the People Power Party, questioned, "There is a report that a person identified as Minister Choo's aide requested her son's leave by phone," she responded, "That is not true," and added, "If investigated, the truth will be clearly revealed."

When Park asked, "Did you give such instructions through the aide at that time?" she retorted, "Would an aide receive instructions to handle such personal matters?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.