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(LEAD) Defense minister nominee grilled over numerous allegations

All News 16:01 June 28, 2017

(ATTN: ADDS photo, more info in last three paras)

SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister nominee Song Young-moo was grilled over a raft of allegations ranging from a cover-up of his drunk driving to his cozy ties with defense firms during a parliamentary confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Since President Moon Jae-in nominated him earlier this month, one allegation after another has surfaced, triggering intense criticism from opposition parties that have called him unfit for the post tasked with reforming the armed services and countering North Korea's evolving threats.

The latest allegation emerged earlier this week that Song, then a Navy commander, was caught drunk driving during an annual South Korea-U.S. exercise in 1991. He avoided any penalty from either the military or police, spawning speculation that he took steps to hush it up.

Song regretted having driven under the influence of alcohol, while denying the cover-up suspicion.

"I have deeply repented for that moment's mistake that I committed 26 years ago, and I call for your understanding," he said.

Defense Minister nominee Song Young-moo speaks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on June 28, 2017. (Yonhap)

Defense Minister nominee Song Young-moo speaks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on June 28, 2017. (Yonhap)

Rep. Kim Dong-cheol of the minor opposition People's Party demanded the president withdraw Song's nomination.

"The request for the parliamentary hearing for a figure with such moral issues itself is an affront to the National Assembly and citizens," he said.

Song said in response that he attended the hearing to vindicate his "veracity and probity."

The nominee has also come under fire for having received exorbitant payments for his advisory role at a law firm. Right after his retirement as the chief of naval operations in 2008, he worked at the firm for 33 months during which he received nearly 1 billion won (US$877,039).

Song also provided counseling to a local defense firm for some 30 months during which he took 240 million won. His past work at the firm raised doubts over whether he could lead the efforts to stamp out deep-seated corruption in the defense industry.

Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party came to the defense of the nominee, highlighting that he led a successful operation during an inter-Korean naval clash near the de facto maritime border in 1999.

"In a sense, this hearing is for one of our nation's great heroes," Rep. Kim Byung-kee said. "Even though you think he lacks qualifications, we should not forget to give respect to the hero for the sake of our future."

Other allegations include his directive in 2007 to stymie a military corruption probe and false address registration, a legal -- albeit petty -- offense that the president once said would keep him from nominating anyone for top public offices.

On policy fronts, Song said that if appointed, he would seek to bolster the military's cyberwarfare capabilities and reshape the current "defensive and passive" military response system into an "aggressive and proactive" one.

Stressing the importance of inter-service cooperation, Song also showed his resolve for the "balanced development" of the Army, Navy and Air Force, tacitly touching on the long-standing criticism of the current Army-domineering defense system.

Asked if he thinks the U.S. THAAD missile defense system is needed to better defend the country, Song said yes. But to the question of whether the deployment must go through a parliamentary ratification process, he remained ambivalent, saying it is hard to give a definitive answer.

On the same day, the legislature also held a confirmation hearing for Agriculture Minister-nominee Kim Yung-rok.

His hearing focused mostly on policy issues as there have not been any serious accusations against him.

Kim vowed to mobilize "all available" measures to stabilize plummeting rice prices, foster the agricultural industry into a sustainable, technology-based sector and improve methods to tackle animal diseases such as avian influenza.

Agriculture Minister-nominee Kim Yung-rok speaks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 28, 2017. (Yonhap)

Agriculture Minister-nominee Kim Yung-rok speaks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 28, 2017. (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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