Choo Under All-Round Pressure... Position Shaken Ahead of Government Questioning and National Audit

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun also says "Embarrassing"... East District Prosecutors' Office Speed Race, Will It Lead to a Conclusion?

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Allegations that Chu Mi-ae, Minister of Justice, gave preferential treatment to her son, Seo Mo, by granting him special leave are intensifying day by day. Suspicions surrounding Seo’s unit assignment, the selection process for Olympic interpreters, as well as issues during the investigation process, continue to emerge. Even within the ruling party, which had been defending Minister Chu, a different atmosphere is beginning to be sensed, and her position is expected to weaken further.

Regarding the allegations involving Minister Chu’s son, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun was the first senior ruling party official to speak out. On the evening of the 10th, Prime Minister Chung appeared on a broadcast and said, “I feel embarrassed for causing concern to the public due to issues involving my child.”

In particular, Prime Minister Chung stated, “If the prosecution is not investigating, the situation could be resolved by other means, but realistically, I think the prosecution should promptly conclude the investigation.” When asked about “other means,” he mentioned, “There could be political methods,” but stopped short of elaborating. Some interpret this as the ruling party beginning internal discussions about Minister Chu’s position.

The allegations concerning Minister Chu’s son seem to grow larger overnight. While the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office, which is investigating the case, delayed the investigation, suspicions arose that a recorded phone call made by Minister Chu and her husband to the Ministry of National Defense’s civil affairs office in 2017, requesting an extension of their son’s military leave, was destroyed.

The Ministry of National Defense explained that the recording was destroyed in June, the third year after the retention period expired. However, considering that the prosecution began investigating Seo’s “special leave” allegations in January, it effectively means that crucial evidence was lost right before their eyes.

Statements Seo made in 2018 in a Facebook Messenger group chat with fellow senior sergeants are also expected to cause controversy. According to some reports, in August 2018, while serving in the U.S. 8th Army Korea Support Group (KATUSA), Seo responded in the group chat to fellow soldiers’ remarks that “military officers provide a lot of conveniences” by saying, “They should have sent me to Yongsan from the start.” According to a transcript obtained by Rep. Shin Won-sik of the People Power Party, retired Colonel A, who oversaw Seo’s unit at the time, stated, “Seo initially came to the 2nd Division and requested to be sent to Yongsan, which I handled according to regulations.”

The Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office, which had been suspected of dragging its feet on the investigation, is expected to undergo a new turning point. After eight months, the investigation team was reinforced and related individuals were re-summoned. Seemingly aware of the mounting public pressure, the office held a “Criminal Case Disclosure Review Committee” meeting the day before and decided to disclose part of the investigation status. They also publicly announced the summons of key witnesses, including whistleblowers and unit officials involved in the case.

The Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office summoned retired Lieutenant Colonel B, who was the regional commander of the military unit where Seo served. B, who had the authority to approve Seo’s leave, was questioned intensively about the circumstances surrounding the extension of Seo’s leave. It is known that B received a report from Captain C, who served as the unit’s support officer at the time, stating that he had received an inquiry call from someone identified as an aide to Representative Chu regarding Seo’s leave extension.

Within the prosecution, it is believed that the shift in stance by the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office was influenced by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office encouraging the investigation. The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office recently transferred complaints related to Minister Chu to the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office, and it is highly likely that an additional complaint filed by a civic group regarding allegations of visa issuance requests involving Minister Chu’s daughter will also be assigned to the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office.

The bigger issue is that Minister Chu’s position is expected to narrow further. From the 14th to the 17th, during the government questioning sessions and the subsequent National Assembly audit, opposition parties as well as civic groups have effectively declared a “Chu Mi-ae Parliament.”

A legal insider analyzed, “Since remarks from senior government officials that can be interpreted as ‘changes in position’ have emerged, there is a risk that the ruling party may take the initiative to ‘cut ties’ first. Minister Chu will have no choice but to prepare thoroughly for the scheduled government questioning and National Assembly audit.”

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