The camps of the two leading candidates are engaging in negative tactics to highlight disputed matters concerning their children.

Their mutual accusations have focused on the son of Moon Jae-in from the Democratic Party of Korea and the daughter of Ahn Cheol-soo from the People’s Party.

The centrist People’s Party has continued to raise allegations that Moon’s son, Joon-yong, enjoyed irregular job favors during the hiring process of the Korea Employment Information Service.

The allegations involve the then-chief of the state-funded KEIS, Kwon Jae-chul, who worked for the Roh Moon-hyun administration (2003-2008) as a secretary for civil affairs from 2003 to 2005. Moon was the senior secretary for civil affairs at the time.

Moon Joon-yong -- with another applicant -- was hired by the KEIS in December 2006. The public company then said the volume of recruitment was two, and the number of applicants was also only two.

Another allegation is that the company’s employment notice period was short, compared to past cases.

Moon’s camp has maintained the position that the allegations have already been resolved. It argued the Board of Audit and Inspection during the Lee Myung-bak administration (2008-2013) did not reprimand the KEIS concerning the issue.

However, a lawmaker from the conservative Bareun Party recently claimed that several workers were punished for being implicated in the allegedly irregular employment.

Kwon is currently the chief of the Korea Employment Welfare Center. He was quoted by media outlets in 2012 as saying that there was just an administrative mistake in the employment process, but he dismissed allegations involving favors given to Moon’s son.

As a counterattack, Moon’s camp has demanded Ahn make public the wealth of his daughter Ahn Seol-hee.

Some online commenters have alleged that the wealthy Ahn might have donated some of his property to his daughter in an improper manner to dodge taxes.

The People’s Party, which formerly took the stance of rejecting such calls, publicized her wealth Tuesday.

“Though Ahn has presently no obligation to make it public, we have decided to reveal it for citizens’ (right to know),” said a party spokesman.

He said Ahn Seol-hee’s assets including deposits and insurance came to 112 million won ($97,700) as of this year, adding that she has a car worth about $20,000.

Meanwhile, the People’s Party on Monday filed a complaint with the prosecution against some online commenters for spreading “groundless” speculations that Ahn’s daughter has dual nationality in Korea and the US.

Some alleged that Ahn Seol-hee had conducted a maternity trip in a bid for her child to gain US citizenship.

Moon has a daughter in addition to his son, while Ahn has just one daughter.

By Kim Yon-se ()


kys@heraldcorp.com