Nominee Im Hye-sook: "NST Chairman 'Unqualified' and False Address Move Allegations Are Groundless"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Allegations have been raised against Im Hye-sook, nominee for Minister of Science and ICT, regarding false address registration and ineligibility to apply for the position of Chairperson of the National Science and Technology Council (NST) last November due to holding Democratic Party membership. Both Im and NST have denied these claims as "groundless."

On the 30th, Park Dae-chul, a member of the People Power Party, claimed through some media outlets that Im held party membership when she was recommended as a candidate for NST Chairperson, thus violating related laws. According to the announcement posted on the NST website on November 9 last year titled “Recruitment of Candidates for Chairperson of the National Science and Technology Council (NST),” eligibility required candidates to be “persons not affiliated with any political party.” However, Im held a party position from January 7, 2019, to January 11, 2021, which meant she was ineligible to apply.

In response, NST issued a press release stating, “The NST bylaws specify as a disqualification for the Chairperson the status of ‘being affiliated with a political party.’” They explained, “Since political neutrality is necessary for the head of a public institution, party membership is restricted for the Chairperson. However, this does not prohibit persons affiliated with a political party from applying or being recommended as candidates for Chairperson.”

In other words, the qualification requirement of “persons not affiliated with any political party” in the Chairperson recruitment announcement and recommendation request means only that one cannot be appointed or serve as Chairperson while holding party membership.

NST further clarified, “Former Chairperson Im Hye-sook was registered as a candidate through recommendations from related organizations. Although she was a party member during the selection process, she resigned from the party before appointment, thus meeting the qualifications stipulated in the bylaws.”

Park also raised suspicions of false address registration. According to Park’s office, Im and her entire family changed their registered addresses 12 times from August 1991 to February 2002 during her overseas stay. This included two changes by Im herself, two by her spouse, five by her eldest daughter, and three by her second daughter. Even during the overseas training period from March 2008 to January 2009, the family maintained a domestic address rather than one in the United States.

Park’s office alleged that despite being unable to maintain a domestic residence while staying in the U.S., the family moved their registered addresses to places such as Guro, Dongjak, and Geumcheon districts in Seoul. They also pointed to the fact that Im and her spouse lived at different addresses after marriage as grounds for suspicion of false address registration.

However, Im’s side explained, "Separate addresses were maintained early in the marriage to obtain and retain eligibility for housing subscription, and during the U.S. stay, the household was registered separately for the same reason.” Regarding changes in the children’s addresses, they stated, “During the period the family stayed in the U.S., the mother-in-law changed the eldest daughter’s address to the in-laws’ residence,” adding that the reason is unknown as both parents-in-law have passed away.

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