'Park Geun-hye ignored defects of Surion choppers'

By Jun Ji-hye

Former President Park Geun-hye turned a blind eye to defects in the Surion utility helicopter despite warnings from the state auditor, a lawmaker claimed Tuesday.

The allegation came two days after the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) announced the results of its inspection of the Surion project, Sunday, accusing the nation’s arms procurement agency of having pushed for the deployment of the helicopters despite defects including engine and windshield problems.

The state auditor also suspected corruption may have affected the project, demanding state prosecutors investigate Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) chief Chang Myoung-jin and two other working-level officials for dereliction of duty.

Rep. Jung Sung-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said the BAI briefed Park when she was in power on the outcome of its inspection of the arms acquisition programs including one involving the Surion last Aug. 12.

But in October that year, DAPA allowed Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the nation’s sole aircraft maker that developed the chopper, to resume delivery although the fatal defects had not been resolved.

The BAI finalized the report on its inspection results Oct. 20 and announced it Nov. 22, but one finding regarding the Surion project was excluded in its announcement, according to Rep. Jung.

The three-term lawmaker said the report on the Surion project that the BAI announced Sunday was among those finalized on Oct. 20. Jung said the state auditor did not release it in November, only doing so Sunday.

“There is great possibility the BAI briefed then-President Park on all the defects of the Surion,” Jung said.

The state auditor explained it has carried out an additional inspection after it found defects in the chopper in last year’s inspection.

“What we announced Sunday was about our additional inspection,” the BAI was quoted as saying by Jung.

But the lawmaker questioned why the BAI did not ask for the prosecution to investigate the DAPA chief last year when it found the defects in the helicopter.

“A thorough investigation is necessary to find out why a proper investigation did not take place last year even after the BAI reported to then-President Park,” he said. “The BAI itself is also an object of investigation for its concealment of suspected corruption in the Surion project for the past year.”

Park appointed Chang to head DAPA in November 2014. He and Park were classmates and laboratory partners at Sogang University’s electronic engineering department.

Under the Surion project in which 1.2 trillion won ($1 billion) was invested, KAI began developing the utility helicopters in 2006 and started delivery in 2012.

About 60 choppers are currently operating, but controversy has continued over safety issues due to continuous reports about windshield damage.

In December 2015, one helicopter crashed due to engine failure.