PM Appointee under Fire for Padding Resume

The Prime Minister`s office said yesterday that Park Chan-woo, the eldest son of newly appointed Prime Minister Chang Sang, decided to obtain the Korean nationality he gave up at four.

Acting Prime Minister Chang said through her press secretary Kim Duk-bong, "My son called on the 11th and said that he threw me into hot water. He said he had decided to obtain the Korean nationality again."

Chang answered to his son that the decision is up to him since he is a grown-up." Kim said, however, she agreed on the 12th her son`s decision to give up the US nationality.

When Chang`s son requests the recovery of the Korean nationality, the Justice Minister examine whether he did harm to the nation or the society, whether he gave up the Korean nationality in an attempt to evade military service, then decides whether to grant him the nationality.

If he obtains the Korean nationality, he will have to undergo the physical examination for military draft by the Military Manpower Administration.

In the meantime, Chang was dragged into another controversy over the alleged padding of her educational background on her resume.

Her resume shows that she earned her doctorate in theology from Princeton University’s graduate school. Chang, in fact, received her doctorate degree from Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS). In a response, Chang said, "People are often confused Princeton University and PTS. So I have always said that I graduated from PTS."

Dong-Ki Sung esprit@donga.com