By Kang Seung-woo
Woo Byung-woo, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, is facing mounting calls to resign as fresh allegations of influence peddling are being raised day after day.
However, Woo made it clear Wednesday that he will stay to help President Park Geun-hye.
The former senior prosecutor is taking flak for his suspicious relationship with senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon, who has been detained on bribery suspicions.
Local news reports raised suspicions on Wednesday that Woo's son, now serving as a conscripted policeman, received favors in his assignment thanks to his father's position at Cheong Wa Dae in violation of regulations.
According to the reports, the secretary's son was initially assigned to a unit guarding the Seoul government complex in April 2015, but he was transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in July of the same year, where he was the driver for a senior police officer until December.
Since then, his son has worked at the deputy commissioner's office because the senior officer was promoted to the post.
However, according to the regulations, a job transfer is permissible four months after a conscripted policeman begins their duties at their units and the news reports raised suspicion that his father's post may have affected the transfer.
Woo was appointed as President Park Geun-hye's top secretary for civil affairs in February 2015.
In response to the reports, Woo said it is heartbreaking that his son was included in the allegations.
On Tuesday, the local daily Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Woo secretly served as an attorney for Jung Woon-ho, a former chief of local cosmetics brand Nature Republic. The businessman has been detained in a lobbying scandal that reportedly ensnared politicians, government officials and prominent figures in the judiciary.
However, he called the report "utterly groundless" and filed complaints with the prosecution against the newspaper.
The series of allegations began with the Chosun Ilbo's reporting that Jin pulled strings for Woo in the sale of his family's real estate to online game maker Nexon. Jin is behind bars for taking bribes from the company.
Woo is also suspected of having overlooked Jin's possession of Nexon shares in 2015 when the latter was promoted although he was in charge of verifying the backgrounds of high-ranking officials in their promotion.
In the wake of the allegations surrounding Woo, opposition parties have urged President Park to dismiss him.
However, Woo refused to resign, repeating his denial of the allegations.
The civil affairs secretary emphasized that he has never met or had any personal ties to the businessmen and that all the allegations against him are false.
"All these suspicions have been raised with regard to people that I don't know," he told reporters. "I don't think a civil servant should resign every time such allegations are raised."
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| This building is part of real estate holdings in southern Seoul that sisters-in-law of Woo Byung-woo, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, sold to online gaming company Nexon in 2011. / Yonhap |
However, Woo made it clear Wednesday that he will stay to help President Park Geun-hye.
The former senior prosecutor is taking flak for his suspicious relationship with senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon, who has been detained on bribery suspicions.
Local news reports raised suspicions on Wednesday that Woo's son, now serving as a conscripted policeman, received favors in his assignment thanks to his father's position at Cheong Wa Dae in violation of regulations.
According to the reports, the secretary's son was initially assigned to a unit guarding the Seoul government complex in April 2015, but he was transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in July of the same year, where he was the driver for a senior police officer until December.
Since then, his son has worked at the deputy commissioner's office because the senior officer was promoted to the post.
However, according to the regulations, a job transfer is permissible four months after a conscripted policeman begins their duties at their units and the news reports raised suspicion that his father's post may have affected the transfer.
Woo was appointed as President Park Geun-hye's top secretary for civil affairs in February 2015.
In response to the reports, Woo said it is heartbreaking that his son was included in the allegations.
On Tuesday, the local daily Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Woo secretly served as an attorney for Jung Woon-ho, a former chief of local cosmetics brand Nature Republic. The businessman has been detained in a lobbying scandal that reportedly ensnared politicians, government officials and prominent figures in the judiciary.
However, he called the report "utterly groundless" and filed complaints with the prosecution against the newspaper.
The series of allegations began with the Chosun Ilbo's reporting that Jin pulled strings for Woo in the sale of his family's real estate to online game maker Nexon. Jin is behind bars for taking bribes from the company.
Woo is also suspected of having overlooked Jin's possession of Nexon shares in 2015 when the latter was promoted although he was in charge of verifying the backgrounds of high-ranking officials in their promotion.
In the wake of the allegations surrounding Woo, opposition parties have urged President Park to dismiss him.
However, Woo refused to resign, repeating his denial of the allegations.
The civil affairs secretary emphasized that he has never met or had any personal ties to the businessmen and that all the allegations against him are false.
"All these suspicions have been raised with regard to people that I don't know," he told reporters. "I don't think a civil servant should resign every time such allegations are raised."
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