[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Military Troubled by the '3 Types of Mom Chance'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] As suspicions grow regarding the military leave taken by the son of Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae during his service, the Ministry of National Defense is facing difficulties. Even if the tangled allegations of various solicitations and special favors are unraveled, it is highly likely that the issue will conclude with 'disciplinary action' and damage to the military's image will be inevitable.

The suspicions raised mainly by the opposition parties in the political arena can be summarized into three main points. Minister Chu's son, Mr. Seo, enlisted as a KATUSA (Korean Augmentation To the United States Army) soldier on November 28, 2016. While serving as a private first class, Seo took his first medical leave from June 5 to 14, 2017, for surgery on his right knee. He then took a second medical leave from June 15 to 23, and personal leave from June 24 to 27, totaling 23 days of leave. Including these three leaves, Seo used a total of 58 days of leave, which is 25 days more than the average leave days (33.3 days) of other KATUSA soldiers.

The problem lies in the absence of official documents such as leave orders and medical certificates that justify the extension of the first and second medical leaves. According to the military, KATUSA soldiers follow U.S. Army regulations during working hours, but leave matters must comply with the Korean Army's regulations, which differs from Seo's side's claims. According to military logic, under the partially revised military regulations from March 2016, hospitalization confirmation and medical expense receipts from civilian medical institutions must be kept for five years. However, such documents are missing. It is known that the Integrated Regiment Administrative System specifies Seo's leave as "replaced by annual leave due to insufficient treatment" for the first and second medical leaves. Commanders were aware of the first and second medical leaves, but the paperwork was insufficient. The commanders at the time, Colonel Lee, commander of the Korea Military Support Group, and Lieutenant Colonel Lee, commander of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division area, were discharged last year and this year respectively, so the military cannot discipline them. Only Captain Kim and Captain Kwon, who are still active, can be subject to disciplinary action.

People Power Party lawmaker Shin Won-sik said in a phone interview with this paper, "Lieutenant Colonel Lee was promoted to honorary colonel and discharged this year, but it is necessary to accurately investigate whether there was external pressure at the time," adding, "The issue of administrative responsibility should not be passed on to junior officers of the company grade."

Suspicions have also been raised regarding the selection process of Seo as an interpreter soldier for the Pyeongchang Olympics. In 2017, Mr. A, a policy advisor in the Ministry of National Defense under Minister Song Young-moo, appears to have inquired with the minister's military advisory office about the "Pyeongchang Olympic interpreter soldier procedure." At that time, the military advisory office concluded that "there is a possibility of violating the Anti-Graft Law (Kim Young-nan Act), so involvement is not possible." However, there has been ongoing noise about the intention behind Mr. A's inquiry?whether it was a simple inquiry or if there was external pressure from Minister Chu and the party. Mr. A, a former aide to a Democratic Party lawmaker, worked as a policy advisor during former Minister Song Young-moo's tenure and is currently serving as a Democratic Party Defense Committee specialist. There is speculation inside and outside the political circles that he may move to an administrative position at the Blue House.

There are also questions about solicitations related to Seo's reassignment. Colonel Lee, who was the commander of the Korea Military Support Group under the U.S. 8th Army during Seo's military service, said in a phone interview with lawmaker Shin Won-sik's office, "Seo initially came to the 2nd Infantry Division (Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province) and requested to be sent to Yongsan, which was done according to regulations," adding, "I personally educated Seo's father, Professor Seo, and Minister Chu Mi-ae's mother-in-law for 40 minutes not to make solicitations." The Ministry of National Defense has stated that KATUSA soldiers' unit and duty assignments are uniformly applied through computer random number selection. This means that soldiers and their parents participate in selecting numbers, and assignments are decided randomly. However, as seen in this solicitation process, the Ministry of National Defense cannot avoid the stigma that reassignment due to internal military pressure is possible.

A military official said, "We are concerned that this issue, which started as a political fight, might give the impression that the military moves according to power," adding, "All personnel responsible for the leave have been discharged, and it is difficult to clearly reveal that solicitations had to be accepted due to external pressure, which puts us in a difficult situation."

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