Corruption allegations hit veterans' association

By Jun Ji-hye

Cho Nam-pung KorVA chairman

Korean Veterans Association (KorVA) Chairman Cho Nam-pung may face an investigation by prosecutors over a number of corruption allegations.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs alleged Tuesday that Cho, a 77-year-old former Army general, abused his authority to recruit unqualified people since his April swearing in.

Cho is also suspected of having paid voters ahead of the election to choose the KorVA chairman.

Announcing the results of its special audit into the suspected corruption cases, the ministry said Cho ignored an internal rule on “special recruitment” to hire 12 people who were close to him.

Under the rule, the association should recruit those under 60 who have served in the relevant area for more than three years. However, eight of them did not meet the requirement, the ministry said.

One of the most controversial appointments was a relative of Cho’s close confidant, surnamed Choi, who was appointed as director of the management bureau of the association on May 29. Cho sacked an existing director who was named to the post only 20 days earlier to give the job to the relative.

Choi has been on trial on charges of embezzling 3.2 billion won. He has been accused of being responsible for the worsening financial status of the association, which is now some 550 billion won in debt.

The KorVA has about 8.5 million members nationwide and is running 10 enterprises whose total annual sales are estimated at about 400 billion won.

“We have taken measures to withdraw the inappropriate appointments,” said Choi Jung-sik, a ministry official.

The ministry, which is in charge of supervising the association, launched the audit on June 26, about a week after it received tips from a whistle-blower, sources said.

In addition, the KorVA union claims Cho bribed voters during an election for the chairmanship. The union claimed Cho paid about 5 million won to each voter after receiving the money from Choi.

However, the ministry said it could not confirm the allegations because it has no authority to look into bank accounts, indicating that it may refer the case to the prosecution.

The union is arguing that Cho appointed Choi’s relative as a director of the management in return for Choi’s financial support during the election.

When asked about why the ministry has yet to transfer the case to the prosecution, the ministry said it is now reviewing related legal issues.

“We are open to any possibility, from suspending Choi from his duties to taking legal action against him,” said the minister official Choi Jung-sik.

But criticism still abounds about why the ministry is not able to take legal action right away when there have been a number of pieces of circumstantial evidence, including a memo and a voice recording indicating that Cho bribed voters.

The ministry said it is trying to find the best way it can to put the association, which has been suffering deepening internal discord, on the right track.

But the union said it is planning to file a complaint on its own with the prosecution against Cho.

The union was set up on June 24 for the first time since the association was established in 1952. It has submitted its petitions accusing Cho to the presidential office and the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye