Anchor: Lawmakers grilled Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae over suspicions that she used her political influence to obtain preferential treatment for her son during his military service a few years ago. On the first day of the National Assembly's four-day interpellation session on this Monday, the alleged power abuse scandal involving her son dominated the parliament.
Kim Bum-soo has more.   

Report: 

[Sound bite: National Assembly question-and-answer session (September 14, 2020)]

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae’s son, identified by his surname Seo, is suspected of failing to return to his base without obtaining prior approval for an extra four days of sick leave after knee surgery in 2017. 

At the parliamentary question-and-answer session Monday, opposition lawmakers argued such anti-disciplinary actions were condoned, thanks to his powerful mother.   

[Sound bite: National Assembly question-and-answer session (September 14, 2020)] 
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae: "Without reporting that he has a medical condition, my son properly joined the service, and properly received the sick leave to get the treatment and completed his service. I didn't have any reason to make an illicit move here and I didn't have any such intentions. I did not have my aide make the alleged telephone request."   

Before becoming the nation’s justice minister, Rep. Choo Mi-ae served as the ruling Democratic Party chair from 2016 to 2018. The period coincides with her son’s 21-month conscription at the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army or KATUSA.

Former Army Col. Lee Cheol-won, who was in charge of KATUSA operations, said last week that there were also a number of unsuccessful requests, such as asking for Seo to be selected by the military as an interpreter at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.  

[Sound bite: National Assembly question-and-answer session (September 14, 2020)]
DP Rep. Jung Chung-rae: "Didn't your son study sports marketing in Britain?"
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae: "It would have been a request for special consideration if an unqualified person asks for an opportunity. But my child majored in sports management [in the UK]. It's somewhat embarrassing to compliment about my own child's capability but he is well-capable of doing the job, and I have no reason to ask for a favor. Rather, I only learned now that having recognized he is my son, they changed the regular selection method to drawing lots to drop him." 

Choo also faces allegations that she sought to make her son's life cushier by attempting to get him transferred from a U.S. military base in Uijeongbu near Seoul to the main garrison in Seoul's Yongsan district.  

Choo's son and her former aide accused of making telephone calls to extend the sick leave were summoned by the prosecution over the weekend.

Ruling DP lawmakers, including incumbent Chair Lee Nak-yon, and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun urged the opposition to wait until probe results are out by the prosecution. 

But the main opposition People Power Party says the related posts at the prosecution have already been taken by those who are loyal to the incumbent justice minister.  

PPP leader Kim Chong-in said President Moon Jae-in's two latest justice ministers - Cho Kuk and Choo - have become the "super spreader of the virus of unfairness."  
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.