Air Force chief receives stern warning

By Jun Ji-hye

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Choi Cha-gyu

The Ministry of National Defense issued a stern warning Thursday to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Choi Cha-gyu for mismanaging government funds and utilizing official vehicles for personal use.

Announcing the results of its inspection into a series of allegations involving Choi, the ministry said the Air Force spent 189 million won ($173,000) on refurbishing Choi’s office after he took the job in April of last year.

Choi’s inauguration came only four months after the Air Force spent 765 million won moving the office from the second to the fourth floor of the Air Force Headquarters in Gyeryongdae, South Chungcheong Province.

“It was confirmed that the Air Force made an overlapping investment of about 14 million won,” a ministry official said.

He said that the ministry will hold those in charge of budget management responsible depending on the seriousness of misuse of funds.

The ministry added that Choi’s wife asked a driver of official vehicles to help hang the curtains in her daughter’s house. It was also confirmed that a military veterinarian was called to Choi’s residence to provide treatment for his pet.

However, the ministry said it could not find any evidence to prove an allegation that Choi embezzled 3.7 million won from unit maintenance expenses while he was serving as commander of the 10th Fighter Wing.

“We could not find tangible proof for the allegation that efforts at the time to investigate Choi foundered due to external pressure, either,” he said.

The announcement came after a military human rights watchdog suggested various allegations involving Choi on April 30.

Lim Tae-hoon, head of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, told a news conference that he secured testimony from insiders in the Air Force, calling for an investigation into Choi.

After the disclosure, the Air Force claimed that Choi has never used government money unlawfully throughout his career, and that the construction was carried out following approval from the Ministry of National Defense.

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