2nd Round of Government Questioning, 'Choo's Son' Sparks Ruling and Opposition Clash, Jung Kyung-doo Breaks a Sweat (Summary)

- Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Minister Chu's Son in Today's Government Questions on Diplomacy, Unification, and Security
- Relentlessly Called Out Jeong Gyeong-du... "Chu's Son's Leave Procedures Were Proper... Trust Military Integrated System Records"
- On Cases of Leave Extension Denial, "Commanders Should Have Been More Considerate"

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kang Na-hum] On the 15th, during the government questioning session on diplomacy, unification, and security held at the National Assembly, the ruling and opposition parties continuously clashed over allegations of preferential treatment in military service for Seo, the son of Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae. Especially, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, who is about to retire, had a hard time facing sharp questions from opposition lawmakers in his final government questioning session.

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo is attending the government questioning session on diplomacy, unification, and security held at the National Assembly plenary session on the 15th, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

◆ Jeong Kyeong-doo's Struggle for Chu Mi-ae = On this day, the main target of the opposition was Minister Jeong, who is responsible for military service. Minister Jeong responded that he "cannot verify the documents" regarding Seo receiving 19 days of sick leave based on 4 days of medical treatment documents, but partially acknowledged that some young soldiers who could not get leave extensions by phone were disadvantaged, saying, "Commanders should have been more considerate."

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, said he received text messages from young people and parents who were in similar situations related to the recent allegations of preferential treatment for Minister Chu’s son. He asked Minister Jeong, "Seo received 19 days of sick leave with 4 days of treatment documents, but this person (the informant) only had 3 days of treatment documents and thus only received 4 days of sick leave. There is not much difference in their situations, so was this person also discriminated against?"

When Minister Jeong answered that the informant’s case complied with regulations, Ha asked again, "Then doesn’t that mean there was preferential treatment?" Minister Jeong replied, "Regarding Private Seo’s situation, there are various supporting materials such as treatment, diagnosis, and medical expense statements that need to be verified, but they cannot be confirmed at this time."

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, is questioning Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-du at the National Assembly plenary session on the 15th regarding foreign affairs, unification, and security./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Ha also revealed another case of a young soldier who inquired about extending sick leave by phone but was told to "return first," asking, "Seo’s (phone inquiry for sick leave extension) was processed normally, so was this soldier disadvantaged?"

Minister Jeong said, "The regulations and orders currently applied by the Ministry of National Defense are not targeted at any specific soldier but are commonly applied to all soldiers serving their mandatory duty in the military for the nation. If such a case occurred, the commander should have been more considerate," he said.

Shin Won-sik, a member of the same party, criticized the Ministry of National Defense’s position that Seo’s leave procedure was lawful because the interview log remains in the electronic government system, saying, "Having an interview log cannot legalize leave without a leave order." The interview log is only part of the process to legalize leave. Currently, the military’s internal computer system lacks the leave order and related documents proving sick leave, leaving only the indirect evidence of the interview log.

Minister Jeong repeated his previous position, saying, "There is a diagnosis record from a military doctor at Samsung Hospital for the first sick leave, and there is a record stating 10 days of sick leave was given," asserting there was no procedural problem.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Shin pointed out that the 19-day sick leave itself lacks grounds. He said, "According to regulations, there are three reasons to grant sick leave exceeding 10 days annually, and Seo does not fall under any of these. The military doctor also said 'adequate treatment is possible at the military hospital,' and Seo underwent a simple surgery at Samsung Hospital and was discharged in just 3 days."

Minister Jeong responded, "Based on the facts I have identified, all those factors were considered, and the basic procedures were followed," adding, "There are records indicating that. Seo himself communicated to the commander how long it would take to fully recover, and the commander approved it. Because there were those who approved it, the prosecution’s investigation will reveal the truth."

◆ Democratic Party’s Full Support = The Democratic Party also had no choice but to summon Minister Jeong to clarify the facts regarding the preferential treatment allegations for Seo’s military service. Ahn Gyu-baek, a Democratic Party lawmaker, asked Minister Jeong, "Was there any illegal procedure in the selection of interpreters?" targeting opposition allegations that Minister Chu exerted external pressure to send her son as an interpreter.

Minister Jeong said, "You know well that Seo was not selected as an interpreter. Our military operates a transparent, fair, and rational system where illegal actions do not work."

In response, Ahn said, "Not only was no illegality found, but the interpreter selection was conducted by lottery, confirming the healthiness of our military. However, as the essence of the issue is obscured and politicized, the opposition and some media are framing the incident as a military service issue. This is a matter of exercising command authority," he emphasized.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, Ahn pointed out, "It is true that no documents are preserved at the relevant military unit. The loss of documents such as diagnosis certificates that should have been kept for the past five years has fueled controversy. An investigation should be conducted to check the document management status of the unit, including this case."

Minister Jeong said, "Since the prosecution’s investigation is underway, any deficiencies in the military will be supplemented based on the results. The Ministry of National Defense will speak based on facts, disclose everything transparently, and cooperate with the prosecution’s investigation," he said.

Min Hong-chul, a member of the same party, asked Minister Jeong about the legality of Seo’s leave order. Minister Jeong said, "There are records of Seo’s second sick leave application and annual leave in the military administrative integrated system. The approving authority must have approved the leave."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Min asked again, "Approvals for (military leave) requests are made in various ways such as text messages and KakaoTalk. According to the orders, commanders take measures within their scope, and the orders are lawful. Do you believe Seo’s testimony that there was no preferential treatment?" Minister Jeong replied again, "Of course, I trust the integrated system records."

Minister Jeong added, "Our goal is to ensure that soldiers who enlist under conscription and dedicate themselves to national security can serve the country in good health without unfair treatment or unreasonable measures. All orders and regulations are designed to allow them to serve with peace of mind. It is not about favoring someone or giving disadvantages or discrimination to others," he emphasized.

After hearing Minister Jeong’s answers, Min expressed concern, saying, "I worry that the military’s honor and trust, as well as the command authority exercised diligently and autonomously by each commander for soldiers, might be damaged by those who disparage the military in the future."

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