Seoul: The foreign ministry said Tuesday it has requested a "public audit" by the state auditor over allegations of preferential treatment in the hiring of Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung's daughter at both the ministry and an affiliated think tank.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry has been under scrutiny after the opposition party raised suspicions that Shim's daughter, whose identity has been withheld, was hired by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) and the foreign ministry despite her qualifications failing to meet the requirements.
Rep. Han Jeoung-ae of the main opposition Democratic Party accused the KNDA of hiring the daughter as a temporary researcher for eight months last year, and the ministry of hiring her as a researcher at the ministry, even though she was not qualified for the jobs. Han further claimed that the ministry later altered the job requirements for the full-time researcher position to favor Shim's daughter.
"We requested a public audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) today, as we seek an objective assessment of the issues raised regarding the hiring," a ministry official told reporters. "Until we have the result from the BAI, the decision on the hiring will be suspended," the official said.
A public audit is conducted upon the request of the head of an institution, regional parliament or citizens or civic groups subject to possible audits over issues concerning the public interest. Should the audit proceed, the BAI has six months to reach a conclusion.
Regarding the allegations, the foreign ministry has maintained the hiring process was carried out in a fair and transparent manner.