By Na Jeong-ju
The nominee for agriculture minister came under fire Monday for taking state subsidy for farmers from 2007 to 2009 while he worked as president of a weekly newspaper for farmers and fishermen.
The allegation was raised by both ruling and opposition lawmakers at a National Assembly confirmation hearing.
According to the main opposition Democratic Party, Suh received some 590,000 won ($540) in state subsidy for his farmland in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, even though only full-time farmers are entitled to the funding.
Suh claimed that he did farming on weekends while serving as president of the weekly newspaper based in Seoul.
The subsidy system was introduced in the early 2000s when Suh was serving as deputy agriculture minister.
“I farmed the land with my brother, so it wasn’t illegal to receive the subsidy,” Suh told lawmakers.
Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, a legislator of the ruling Grand National Party also accused him of evading capital gains tax when he sold a property in 2002.
However, Suh denied the allegation, saying he never violated the law and said the case is currently being investigated by the National Tax Service.
Suh is one of the five newly nominated Cabinet ministers who need non-binding parliamentary approval to become ministers. The 63-year-old was nominated in early May as the new agriculture minister.
After graduating from Korea University, he joined the agricultural ministry in 1973 and worked for the ministry and related agencies throughout his career.
The nominee said, once he takes office, he will boost investment in the research and development of agricultural, fisheries and food sectors and promote technology transfer from labs to businesses.
“I’ll boost the food industry‘s ties with the agricultural and fishery sectors, and strive to improve the country’s competitiveness by improving the infrastructure through the launch of a food industry cluster,” he said.
Meanwhile, environment minister-nominee Yoo Yong-sook will face legislators today; followed by finance minister-nominee Bahk Jae-wan on Wednesday; labor minister-nominee Lee Chae-pil and land minister-nominee Kwon Do-youp on Thursday.