Baek Gyeong-ran's younger sibling says "Sister as Disease Control Director" is "Unrelated to her own will"... Considering filing a complaint against proxy writer

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byun Seon-jin] Regarding the suspicion that Baek Gyeong-ran, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), directly revealed her identity when her younger brother applied to be an outside director of a KOSDAQ company producing COVID-19 diagnostic kits, Baek’s side stated on the 7th, "It is true that my brother was recommended as an outside director by a small shareholder coalition of the company, but he did not write any part of the problematic ‘Work Performance Plan’ himself," and added that they are considering filing a complaint against Mr. A of the small shareholder coalition, who drafted it on his behalf.

On the same day, Baek was embroiled in allegations by a media report that her family tried to use their position in a company related to the KDCA. According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system, Baek’s younger brother, Mr. Baek, wrote in the Work Performance Plan for the outside director candidate of DNA Link, submitted on August 10, "Fortunately, my older sister is Baek Gyeong-ran, the second commissioner of the KDCA." In the plan, Mr. Baek emphasized his relationship with Commissioner Baek, stating, "Although my major is chemistry, my family members are currently working in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, maintaining professional connections with me."

This company, DNA Link, specializes in genetic analysis and has signed three contracts this year alone with the KDCA for COVID-19 genome analysis. During the period when Mr. Baek was presumed to be an outside director candidate after Commissioner Baek’s appointment, the company signed contracts worth 15,000 cases, six times the previous amount. However, the agenda to appoint outside directors, including Mr. Baek, was submitted at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on August 26 but was not deliberated due to a lack of quorum. Later, other candidates were nominated as outside directors at the shareholders’ meeting, and ultimately, Mr. Baek was not appointed as an outside director of the company.

Baek’s side explained in a statement that "My brother was unaware of the fact that this information was disclosed on the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system before a media inquiry on October 31." They also said, "As soon as my brother realized that the plan was falsely written without his consent by Mr. A of the small shareholder coalition, he immediately protested to Mr. A, informed the company, and requested a correction disclosure." On the same day, DNA Link’s electronic disclosure system posted a correction notice stating, ‘The disclosed Work Performance Plan was not written by the candidate (outside director), and the candidate personally clarified this, attaching a rewritten Work Performance Plan and a confirmation letter.’

Baek’s side also stated, "As a measure against the falsely written and signed Work Performance Plan by my brother, we are considering filing a complaint against Mr. A for forgery of private documents."

On the same day, Commissioner Baek explained at the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, "It has been confirmed that my brother did not write the Work Performance Plan himself and that the signature was forged. The Financial Supervisory Service is currently requesting a correction disclosure on this matter," adding, "I submitted the documents on August 3, but I understand that the plan was submitted later by a third party." She continued,

"I sincerely apologize for the concerning situation that has occurred."

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