Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, faced criticism for his response during a confirmation hearing on September 16, where he suggested that inquiries about his son's military service records should be made directly at the unit.
During the hearing before the National Assembly's Defense Committee, lawmaker Cheon Ha-ram raised concerns about a KakaoTalk profile picture of Kang's son, who served as an Army second lieutenant. Cheon claimed that the photo, taken with his 4-star general father, raised suspicions of favoritism during his service.
Cheon argued, "If the candidate does not reach out, just displaying that photo would make all unit members aware that he is the son of a 4-star general, leading to special treatment." He insisted on the need to verify whether any favoritism occurred during the service.
Cheon also pointed out that the requested military record had not been submitted, questioning whether the Lee Jae-myung administration's philosophy prevented the release of such documents. He referenced the case of An Gyu-baek, the Minister of National Defense, who also failed to provide his military records amid allegations of desertion.
In response, Kang stated, "Please go to the unit and check how our son served," escalating the exchange.
Cheon retorted, "Should I, as a committee member, have to ask each individual? Are you saying that I should go check because you can't provide the military record? Is that the attitude of a ministerial candidate?"
Jin Sung-jun, the chair of the Defense Committee, intervened, stating that Kang's suggestion to check at the unit was inappropriate. He emphasized that Kang should actively clarify and prove that no favoritism occurred during his son's military service.
Jin also noted that while the submission of military records requires the consent of the individual involved, it would be beneficial to provide the records to demonstrate that Kang's son did not receive any special treatment during his service as the son of a 4-star general.
On the other hand, Kim Seong-hwa, a member of the Democratic Party, raised concerns about Cheon's demands, stating, "While it is acceptable to request clarification on existing suspicions, questioning the very existence of the records is problematic."
Kang expressed regret over the issue of submitting the military record, stating, "I will look into it."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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