"Allegations of Tax Evasion and Speculation with Multiple Appointments"
Representative Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party expressed strong criticism regarding the appointments within President Lee Jae-myung's cabinet, questioning whether "the personnel verification system is functioning as it should."
On the 2nd, Representative Joo referenced the individuals appointed or nominated by President Lee Jae-myung on his Facebook, stating, "With cabbage prime ministers, coffee ministers of veterans affairs, road ministers of foreign affairs, and even a mid-sized industry minister involved in lewd material—it's a dizzying formation."
"Minister Kwon and spouse, is coffee a job? Possibility of tax evasion"
Regarding the nomination of Kwon Oh-eul as the Minister of Veterans Affairs, he claimed, "The nominee and her spouse received overlapping salaries. They absurdly explained that sitting next to each other having coffee was work," adding, "If they were paid without working, that constitutes tax evasion."
Kwon is reported to have received about 150 million won from four companies last year and again from four this year, raising questions about the physical possibility of working simultaneously across different locations.
"Investment in cabbage fields and road purchases… rife with suspicion"
Representative Joo appeared unable to let go of the issues surrounding Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok as well. He remarked, "He acknowledged profits from cabbage field investments, wedding gifts to his mother-in-law, a 200 million won support to his in-laws, and one hundred million won profits from a book launch," stating, "Tax evasion concerns will surely arise."
He further criticized Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun, saying, "His son earned 1.5 billion won through gap investment, and his spouse purchased a road just before Hanam New Town designation, making a 100 million won profit. It’s hard to believe he wasn’t living and sleeping on the road. It’s typical real estate speculation."
"80 billion won real estate security chief… including a minister with a lewd material conviction"
He pointed out that "National Security Chief nominee Wi Sung-lak’s family owns properties worth 8 billion won, including shopping malls, land, standalone houses, apartments, buildings, officetels, and multi-family homes." He also criticized Lee Han-joo, chair of the National Planning Commission, saying, "He gave real estate as gifts to his two sons on Children’s Day.”
Lastly, he expressed concerns regarding Minister of SMEs nominee Han Seong-sook, stating some potentially excessive remarks, "Han Seong-sook was convicted as a responsible person for the distribution of lewd materials. Shouldn't such matters of real estate speculation and tax evasion be filtered out in personnel verification?"
Former employee received a "summary order"… the nominee was in charge at that time
It has been confirmed that Han faced a guilty verdict for distributing lewd materials in the past and was fined. However, it was not for distributing the commonly thought of "adult" material online.
According to the personnel verification request submitted by the nominee to the National Assembly, he was sentenced to a fine of 10 million won and forfeiture for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (distribution of lewd materials) in 2005.
At that time, Han was serving as the head of the search service department at the portal site Empas. The prosecution launched a massive investigation, claiming that the adult content provided by the portal was distributing lewd materials in bulk.
Although Han contested the prosecution’s summary indictment and requested a formal trial, he withdrew this request a year later, in October 2006. Ultimately, the court confirmed the 10 million won fine through a summary order.
Image sources: Joo Jin-woo, Representative of the People Power Party / News1, Kim Min-seok, Prime Minister nominee / News1, Facebook 'Joo Jin-woo', Han Seong-sook, Minister of SMEs nominee / News1.
