SEOUL– The ruling Democratic Party (DP) slammed President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday for sticking with his embattled health minister nominee despite mounting allegations over his children’s school admissions.
Yoon of the opposition People Power Party (PPP) has rejected the DP’s demand to withdraw the nomination of long-time friend Chung Ho-young, saying via his spokesperson the previous day that “clear facts about irregularities” should be first confirmed.
DP leaders ratcheted up pressure on Yoon, drawing a comparison between the nominee and former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, whose family was investigated by the prosecution in 2019 over suspicions related to his daughter’s academic credentials and his family’s investment in private equity funds.
Yoon was prosecutor general at that time.
“Was it because there were (confirmed) facts that the prosecution raided 70 locations in former Minister Cho’s case?” Park Ji-hyun, a co-head of the DP’s interim leadership committee, said during a meeting of the panel.
“If it had been Cho’s case, at least 10 locations would have already been raided by now. But now the prosecution is doing nothing and is again becoming the puppet of those in power,” she said.
The DP criticized Yoon for what the party called a blatant double standard, calling for the prosecution to investigate the suspicions.
“President-elect Yoon should apply a standard of fairness, not friendship, to his friend of 40 years,” floor leader Park Hong-keun said during the meeting.
“It is difficult for the public to tolerate the unfair and preferential connections in which children enter medical school taking advantage of their father and the father becomes a minister thanks to his friend,” he added.
Chung, former chief of Kyungpook National University Hospital in the southeastern city of Daegu, was named on April 10 to lead the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Just after the nomination, allegations surfaced that he may have used his position to help his two children enter the university’s medical school in 2017 and 2018.
Suspicion was also raised about his son having been deemed unfit for active-duty military service in 2015 based on medical records issued by the university hospital, though he had been rated as suitable five years earlier.
On Sunday, Chung apologized for causing public concern but dismissed the allegations.
“When it comes to the issues about my children, there have not been any improper acts using my position, and such acts were not possible either,” Chung said during a press conference.
“The admissions into the medical school and the military duty issue proceeded under procedures of maximum fairness.”
Yoon’s spokesperson affirmed Monday that his nomination will not be cancelled, saying whether the nominee is fit for office should be determined after his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly.
“I think it would be good if we could decide whether he is fit in the eyes of the people at the parliamentary confirmation hearing,” Bae Hyun-jin said during a press briefing.
Source: Yonhap News Agency