INVESTIGATIONS OVER JUSTICE MINISTER’S SON

[Anchor Lead]

Prosecutors have re-summoned concerned military officials as part of their investigation into allegations that Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's son may have received special favors during his mandatory military service. They are pledging to make quick progress in the probe into the snowballing allegations.

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A discharged soldier first raised the allegations that Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's son received special treatments during his mandatory military service. He was questioned as a witness in June. Prosecutors summoned him again.

[Soundbite] (DISCHARGED CONSCRIPT SOLDIER ON DUTY DURING SEO'S VACATION) : “(What brings you here?) I am here for questioning on the fourth floor. (For what case? The case about Minister Choo Mi-ae's son?) Yes.”

Two Army captains were also re-summoned by prosecutors. One of them previously stated that he received a phone call from an aide of Choo Mi-ae who was then the head of the ruling party. The aide asked him to extend the leave for Choo's son, surnamed Seo. The other captain was in charge of the unit in which Seo served. The investigation focuses on finding whether or not the minister's son received special treatments and breached military regulations by extending his leave after having two rounds of sick leave. In order to find the truth, prosecutors are now analyzing documents seized from Samsung Seoul Medical Center and a military hospital in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do Province. Investigators will also look into the allegations that there were requests to reassign Seo to a different unit and let him serve as a military interpreter at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. A prosecution official pledged to quickly investigate the accusations and find the truth. Meanwhile, the minister' son filed a police complaint against a retired colonel and broadcasting company SBS, on charges of defamation. The broadcaster reported the accusations by Shin Won-sik of the main opposition People Power Party, that a colonel raised the allegations Seo may have sought a transfer to another unit. The minister's son insisted that he never met a military official personally to make such a request.

[Soundbite] HYUN GEUN-TAEK(LAWYER FOR JUSTICE MINISTER'S SON) : “Soldiers were assigned to units based on a computer system. So it's not possible to make such a request.”

In response, the lawmaker criticized Seo for making false accusations to prevent him from revealing the truth.