Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party, criticized Park Sun-won from the Democratic Party and Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok. Joo responded to allegations of tax evasion regarding his donations by stating that all taxes have been paid, receipts are available, and accused Kim Min-seok of being supported defensively by Park.
On the 18th, Joo expressed via his Facebook that Park, as a member of the Prime Minister’s personnel hearing special committee, should thoroughly scrutinize Kim, rather than blindly supporting him due to party affiliation. This statement came in response to Park’s previous criticism suggesting that Joo apply the same standards of fairness and rationality to himself. Park had accused Joo of maintaining debts despite holding substantial liquid assets and expressed concerns over his lack of transparency in financial dealings.
In defense, Joo stated that all wealth, including an inheritance from his elderly father to his son, has been taxed with receipts to prove it, and that his financial dealings originated from family gifts and law practice earnings with no irregularities involved. He questioned why he should not scrutinize a prime minister nominee who reportedly spent significantly more than his income with unclear expenses.
Regarding Kim Min-seok, Joo highlighted that since 2020, Kim’s official income was 5 billion KRW, yet his expenditures reached at least 13 billion KRW, with explanations lacking clear evidence. Moreover, Kim’s claim that his ex-wife covered more than 2 billion KRW in educational expenses for their son was also unsupported by documentation.
Joo argued that as the Prime Minister oversees national governance, it is vital to undergo public scrutiny. He contended that while he was instead scrutinized using misinterpreted public property registration data, the scrutiny should focus on Kim Min-seok’s suitability for the role.