Ban Ki-moon's nephew dodges military duty

Presidential contender suffers another blow

By Kim Rahn

Ban Ki-moon

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s scandal-ridden nephew, Bahn Joo-hyun, is on the wanted list for dodging compulsory military service, according to a media report Tuesday.

The Hankyoreh daily reported that the prosecution indicted Bahn, 39, for violating the conscription law, citing an unidentified high-profile government official. The daily did not say specifically when the indictment was filed.

As he continued to not comply with a summons, the prosecution put him on the wanted list, according to the daily. Bahn has been in the United States since his early 20s.

The Military Manpower Administration declined to confirm the report, citing privacy protection rules. Ban also did not comment on the report.

However, his father, Ban Ki-sang, admitted the son’s draft dodging.

“He went to the U.S. to study when he was a college freshman. If he joined the military, he would have given up many things he had achieved, so he chose to stay in the U.S.,” his father said.

According to the law, Bahn was supposed to come back to Korea and fulfill his duty by 2004 when he turned 26. Those who stay overseas to avoid the service are subject to between one and five years in prison if they return to Korea.

His father also said Ban Ki-moon would have been aware of his nephew dodging the draft. During the years when Ban’s nephew was avoiding the service, the former U.N. chief was the foreign minister under the late President Roh Moo-hyun.

It was also confirmed that in April 2012, Ban took part in his nephew’s wedding in New York while serving as U.N. chief.

The anonymous official told the Hankyoreh, “If Ban Ki-moon knew of his nephew’s military evasion, he should have persuaded the young man to return to Korea and fulfill his military duty.”

This is the latest in a series of allegations raised against Ban and his relatives since he showed his intention to run for the presidency.

Earlier this month, Bahn and his father were indicted in the U.S. on charges of corruption, money laundering and conspiracy for allegedly attempting to bribe a high-ranking Qatari government official in return for business favors. They promised Korea’s Keangnam Enterprises they would help it sell a building complex in Hanoi to the Qatari government, but a broker who worked for them pocketed the money for himself.

After the failed sale of the building, Keangnam filed a $590,000 damages suit against Bahn with a Seoul court last year. But Bahn did not respond to the suit and lost it. Bahn allegedly did not come to Korea for the trial because he would face punishment for dodging the draft.

Rep. Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Ban Ki-moon for not taking any action against his nephew’s draft dodging while knowing about it.

“He keeps saying that he did not know much about illegalities by his brother and nephew,” Woo said. “If his relatives are involved in other irregularities in the future, would he keep saying so, even after becoming president? If so then he does not deserve to become president.”