Child ‘Daddy Chance Suspicion’ Jung Ho-young… Hearing Ghana with a head-on breakthrough

Candidate Ho-young Jung for Minister of Health and Welfare boards the elevator following speaking to work at the National Assembly personnel hearing preparation office at the Chungjeong-ro office building of the National Pension Service in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 22nd. Candidate Jeong explained that the result of re-verification of her son at Severance Hospital in Sinchon resulted in the same result as the reason for the grade 4 judgment in 2015. [사진 = 연합뉴스]

The hearing of the Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Ho-young, who was caught up in suspicions of corruption in the military service and preferential treatment for children’s entrance exams due to the so-called ‘dad chance,’ was scheduled for the 3rd of next month.

Candidate Jeong said that he was “ethically proud” and said he would “break through it head-on.” It seems that it remains to be seen whether candidate Chung will go to the hearing without ‘voluntarily resigning’ despite all kinds of criticism.

Candidate Chung officially refuted as allegations related to his children continued to surface.

Candidate Jeong held a press conference in the auditorium of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 17th, listing allegations related to the child in turn, and refuted one by one. Regarding the controversy over the children’s transfer to school, the explanation was divided into ‘transparency of the selection process’, ‘fairness of evaluation results’, and ‘whether or not there is a preference for volunteer activities or research activities reflected in the document screening process’. Candidate Jung said, “You cannot write your parents’ names and workplaces in the self-introduction letter, and you will be penalized for violations”, “As the judges are randomly assigned on the day of the test, it is unknown who will be in charge of the judges”, ” Considering the fact that the subjective interview and document evaluation scores are lower than the mechanically calculated bachelor’s and English scores, it is difficult to say that there was any preference in the transfer process,” he added.

Candidate Chung also faced the ‘suspicion of his son’s military service’ head-on.

Candidate Chung’s personnel hearing preparation team said on the 21st, “Candidate Chung’s son was diagnosed with a suspicion of ‘disc herniation that compresses the nerve root’, which is a grade 4 judgment both at the time and now in 2015.” “Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ) through filming and outpatient neurosurgery,” he said. Candidate Chung appealed for the result, saying, “I was judged for military service through a fair and strict procedure without any favoritism or morally unjust acts.”

Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Hyun-young speaks during the second plenary session of the 387th National Assembly (provisional session) held at the main assembly hall of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the morning of May 21, 2021. [사진 = 연합뉴스]

The Democratic Party of Korea criticized Chung’s explanation as ‘self-verification and self-determination’.

Rep. Shin Hyun-young, a former doctor and spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, “What the public is curious regarding is whether the reading of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) image data in 2015 and the appropriateness of the grade 4 judgment at that time,” said regarding the reexamination result data released by Candidate Chung. “Despite the National Assembly’s request to submit MRI and CT image data, the MRI scan of the current spinal condition in 2022, which is irrelevant to the core of the suspicion, was conducted by itself.” She continued, “The Military Manpower Administration has to decide on the level of military service for the diagnosis,” she said. Rep. Shin insisted, “We need to submit MRI and CT image data and ask the health and welfare committee members to make their own expert judgment.”

President-elect Jang Je-won answers questions from reporters in front of the transition committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 17th. [한주형 기자]

Even within the People’s Power, there were voices saying, “You should ‘voluntarily resign’.”

On the 18th, Rep. Ha Tae-kyung of People’s Strength said, “It is important to make a political decision, not a legal one, in the controversy over the candidate Jung,” in MBC radio’s ‘Kim Jong-Bae’s Focus’ on the 18th. It is correct that you resign voluntarily.” Kim Yong-tae, the top member of the Supreme Council, also asked at the top meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th, “I ask that Minister Jeong Ho-young make a decision regarding his future so that the people do not disappoint.”

President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is also subtly changing his position in the constant noise surrounding the children of candidate Chung.

When the allegations related to candidate Chung’s children first surfaced, President-elect Yoon defended, saying, “There must be facts of injustice.” However, on the 19th, Yoon-elect’s side drew a line saying, “Yoon-elect and Chung are not ’40-year-olds’.” Jang Je-won, the elected chief of staff, met with reporters at the takeover committee in Tongui-dong, Seoul on the 21st and emphasized, “We want (candidate Chung) to give a clear explanation.”

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