The presidential transition team is once again under fire over the ethicality of its members following the revelation that team member Chang Soon-heung used a vehicle belonging to the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety.

Chang, a professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, is a member of the education and science subcommittee.

“Chang used a vehicle designated for the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety’s official use for about two weeks starting on Jan. 10 to attend lunches and external events,” said the Democratic United Party’s Rep. Yoo Ki-hong, a member of the parliamentary Education, Science and Technology Committee, on Tuesday.

“The authority of the transition team, which has stressed principle and trust, has been used to gain unethical conveniences.”

According to Yoo, while KINS claims that the vehicle was rented for an employee identified by the surname Kim who is working on presidential transition-related duties, the transition team denied that Kim’s presence had been requested.

Yoo also claimed that as the vehicle was a Hyundai Grandeur TG, it was likely rented for Chang’s use. According to Yoo, the KINS operates mid-sized vehicles for official use, and Hyundai Grandeurs ― an entry-level luxury car ― are only provided for the chief and deputy chief of the organization.

For his part, Chang defended his actions saying that using the vehicle was not problematic.

Chang said that he rode in the vehicle driven by Kim, a former student of his, two or three times between the transition committee’s office and that of the education and science subcommittee.

The offices of the transition team and the education subcommittee are located on either side of Seoul’s Gyeongbok Palace, and are about 1.5 kilometers apart.

(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)