Lee Hye-hoon, a nominee for the first Minister of Planning and Budget, arrives at the preparatory office for the confirmation hearing at the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 13th. [Photo=Yonhap News]

Lee Hye-hoon, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, has been reported to the police on allegations of preferential military service for her two sons.

The civic group People's Livelihood Countermeasure Committee (Seominwi, Secretary-General Kim Soon-hwan) filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 13th, accusing the nominee of abuse of power and obstruction of business.

Lee's second and third sons are suspected of receiving preferential military service through "proximity to work and residence" public service.

"Proximity to work and residence" (직주근접) means that the workplace and residence are located close to each other, offering advantages such as saving commute time and reducing transportation costs.

Lee's second son worked at a community child center in Seocho-gu for two years from March 2014, and her third son served at the Bangbae Police Station from January 2019 to December 2020.

The peculiar aspect is that two of Lee's sons were consecutively assigned as public service personnel at these institutions. Seominwi stated, "According to tip-offs, there were no public service personnel before or after the cases of these two individuals at the community child center in Seocho-gu and the Bangbae Police Station."

It continued, "When the second son was performing public service, Lee Hye-hoon was the senior supreme council member of the Saenuri Party in the Park Geun-hye administration, and when the third son was performing public service, she was the whip of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and the chairman of the Intelligence Committee in the latter half of the 20th National Assembly," pointing out, "There is a possibility that Lee Hye-hoon was deeply involved, using her 'mom's chance' for the public service of her second and third sons."

Seominwi Donation Account: Post Office 010108-01-014472

Account Holder: People's Livelihood Countermeasure Committee

Reporter Im Yo-hee