(LEAD) Opposition parties slam Seoul subway operator over job favors

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SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- Opposition parties on Wednesday ramped up their criticism against the Seoul subway operator suspected of giving unfair job favors to relatives of its employees.

Seoul Metro, owned by the city government, transferred 1,285 contract workers to permanent employment status as of March, and among them, 108 people were relatives of the operator's existing and former employees, according to Rep. You Min-bong of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP).

The incident is likely to spur conservative parties into increasing attacks on the government's income-driven growth and job policy during the ongoing parliamentary audit session.

The LKP called it a "hiring gate" involving those who are close to President Moon Jae-in, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the two major labor umbrella groups.

"We will strongly demand a parliamentary probe into the scandal so as to let people become well-aware of this employment practice by people close to the Moon government," Kim Sung-tae, the LKP's floor leader, said at a meeting with party officials.

The minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BP) denounced the operator under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, calling on the mayor to take responsibility for the scandal.

"We've found that there was serious employment succession among unionized workers at the firm," Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the BP said. "Mayor Park should conduct an inspection into the practice to reveal the truth."

The Seoul government said that it will ask the state audit agency to inspect Seoul Metro's alleged irregularities.

"For a thorough and object audit, we will officially request the Board of Audit and Inspection to look into the case," it said. "If any problem is found, we will take all available actions at the city government level."

Meanwhile, the labor union of Seoul Metro said that the LKP is making an "excessive" claim, calling it a political offensive.

"We will consider taking legal actions that include filing a libel charge against the LKP," it said. "If there were any job favors or hiring irregularities, authorities should thoroughly inspect the case and a punishment on those in charge should follow."
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