JUSTICE MINISTER SUSPECTED OF MAKING FAVORS FOR SON

[Anchor Lead]

Controversy is brewing over Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's son, who allegedly received special favors serving in the Korean Augmentation To the United States Army, known as KATUSA. The latest accusations say there were requests to reassign the Justice Minister's son to another unit and let him serve as a military interpreter at the Olympic Games.

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A retired Colonel who used to oversee the KATUSA unit in which Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's son served, said he received two requests. The first one was to reassign him to another unit.

[Soundbite] COLONEL(RETIRED)(KATUSA(VOICE ALTERED)/Phone call with People Power Party Rep. Shin Won-sik on Aug. 31) : "I was asked to send him to Yongsan and I did it in line with protocol."

The Colonel also said he met the Justice Minister's family at the completion ceremony.

[Soundbite] COLONEL(RETIRED)(KATUSA (VOICE ALTERED)/Phone call with People Power Party Rep. Shin Won-sik on Aug. 31) : "I personally met with Choo Mi-ae's husband and mother-in-law, and asked them not to make such requests."

In 2017, the Colonel received a request to assign Choo's son as a military interpreter at the PyeongChang Olympics. He said the requests came from the office of then-Defense Minister Song Young-moo and an official from the Defense Ministry's National Assembly Liaison Team. However, he declined to give names. The Colonel said English proficiency test results for KATUSA conscripts were later replaced with random drawing, and that he turned down all requests regarding Choo's son, who was not selected in the end.

[Soundbite] COLONEL(RETIRED)(KATUSA (VOICE ALTERED)/Phone call with People Power Party Rep. Shin Won-sik on Aug. 31) : "I changed the conscription method. I gathered all the servicemen who applied to serve as military interpreters (including Choo's son) and told them selection will be made through drawing due to continued inappropriate requests."

An attorney for the Justice Minister's son highlighted that if the Colonel was contacted in order to find out more information about conscription, there is nothing wrong with that. The attorney said he had nothing else to add, as Choo's son was not selected in the end. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission is trying to figure out whether the Justice Minister's performance of current duties constitutes a conflict of interest. Choo said she has repeatedly asked prosecutors to find out the truth and that she has not and will not receive any reports about the matter.