Choo 'asked for special favors for her son'
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae arrives at the ministry building in the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae sought special favors for her son in 2017 when the son was serving in the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) for the 2nd Infantry Division of the Eighth U.S. Army, the former commander of the Eighth U.S. Army Republic of Korea Army Support Group revealed Friday.
At the time, Choo was chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).
Lee Cheol-won, a retired colonel who was in charge of KATUSA soldiers at the time, said he received a report from an aide that somebody asked the group to assign Choo's son, surnamed Seo, to a KATUSA base in Yongsan, central Seoul, rather than a base in Uijeongbu, northern Gyeonggi Province.
“At the time, I told my aides not to be swayed by inappropriate requests as it could cause problems,” Lee said in a statement.
The retired colonel also said his aides received several phone calls requesting the group to choose Seo as an interpreter for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
“I once again told my aides that such requests could cause enormous problems. Then I ordered my aides to draw lots to decide on who would be the interpreters,” he said.
The revelation came while Choo is under fire over allegations that she used her influence to seek special favors for her son.
Other allegations include the justice minister and her husband asking the Ministry of National Defense to extend their son's medical leave during his mandatory service.
Amid growing controversy, prosecutors, who launched an investigation into the alleged preferential treatment in January, are speeding up their investigations in recent days by questioning people involved with the case.