GNP leader denies law school favors for son

By Jung Sung-ki

A lawmaker of the main opposition party claimed Thursday that a son of the chairman of the ruling party received preferential treatment in gaining admission to a law school at a prestigious university.

Rep. Lee Seok-hyun of the opposition Democratic Party (DP) said in a meeting with party lawmakers that he was told by an informed source that the second son of Rep. Ahn Sang-soo of the Grand National Party was apparently given favors in being admitted to the college of law at Seoul National University (SNU).

The college recently selected 150 students and Ahn’s son was one of seven backup candidates. The school gave admission to two of the candidates on the reserve list ― the first one and Ahn’s son.

Other candidates on the waiting list complained strongly when the results were announced.

Ahn denied the allegation.

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Ahn was quoted by one of his secretaries as saying. “In my understanding, my son was admitted to the school in accordance with due procedure.”

SNU came forward immediately to refute the allegations raised by the opposition lawmaker saying none of them were true.

“The student concerned was second on the waiting list of the regular admission process … Because five students originally accepted to the law school did not register, we selected five students from the backup list,” SNU said in a press release it issued.

Last year, former foreign minister Yu Myung-hwan stepped down amid allegations that his ministry bent its regulations to hire his daughter.

That scandal came after President Lee Myung-bak called for efforts to build a fair society and strengthen the ethical standards of public officials and top leaders. The calls for a fair society and strengthening of ethical standards are gaining more recognition here. President Lee’s choice for chief state auditor was forced to voluntarily withdraw his name from the nomination following a public backlash when the exorbitant wages he received at a law firm after leaving the prosecution were revealed.