Comedian Kim faces probe over military comment

By Kim Rahn

Kim Je-dong

A conservative civic group has filed a complaint with the prosecution against comedian Kim Je-dong for his “untrue” remarks about his military service experience.

The Public Welfare Committee said Wednesday that it requested the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office to investigate Kim for defaming the military by spreading falsities, as well as blackmail.

In July last year, Kim said on a TV program that he was confined for 13 days for calling a four-star general’s wife “ajumma,” a Korean word referring to a married woman, while he was serving his mandatory military duty in 1994.

The comment became known widely after Rep. Baek Seung-joo of the ruling Saenuri Party took issue with it last week, claiming Kim tarnished the reputation of the military with the joke.

Following Baek, the Ministry of National Defense said there is no record of Kim’s imprisonment during his military service, and the focus was moved to whether he was really confined or not.

As the row grew, Kim said on a talk show, “There’s nothing I can do if the political circle takes the joke that seriously. If they want me to come for investigation, I’ll cooperate. But they’d better brace themselves and think whether they will be able to handle what I’d say.”

The committee said Kim’s comment defamed those serving in the military. “If he, a public figure, fabricated facts for political purposes and for his own fame, it is a breach of state order,” it said.

The prosecution will soon decide whether to summon related persons for questioning.