New Minister Found Outside the Law as an ‘Émigré’

It has been revealed that the Minister of Information and Communication, Jin Dae Je (51) and his family retained their residence registration status as ‘émigrés’ while living in the country for 14 years, so an indication, which they did not fulfill their duties as Korean citizens, is being raised.

What is worse, it has also been revealed that his son (25) did not even receive physical examination notification for military service due to his ‘émigré’ status thus amplifies the question that he used his status to evade military service.

Minister Jin`s son, left the country for the U.S. three months before the physical examinations of subjects for military service in his residence area and applied for exemption from military service without coming back to Korea, further intensifying suspicion.

According to a copy of his resident registration confirmed on Wednesday, Minister Jin`s family declared their status for 15 years from May 15, 1986 to June 15, 2001 as ’émigrés’, that is, those living overseas.

Even if we exclude the period that Minister Jin had worked in a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics in the U.S. from 1985 to 1987, Minister Jin`s family was registered as living overseas while in Korea for 14 years. Minister Jin`s family has lived in Korea with ‘residence certificates,’ which are issued to foreigners or people with foreign residency.

The problem is that Jin`s family did not fulfill their duties as citizens such as accountability to taxation, participation in government, and military service during the period that they registered their resident status as ‘émigrés’.

It is revealed that Minister Jin did not pay residence tax, which he should have paid for his residence, and could not exercise his political rights because he did not even have the right to vote.

In-Jik Cho Jong sik Kong cij1999@donga.com kong@donga.com