Jeong Geun, head of the On Hospital Group and father of Jeong I-han, the former Reform Party candidate for Busan mayor who was arrested on charges of staging a fake attack, has effectively declined to comment on his son's crimes and allegations of election interference.
Jeong left the Busan High Court today after attending an appellate trial for his own violation of the Local Education Autonomy Act, presided over by the second criminal division of the court.
The trial concerned charges of illegal electioneering involving hospital staff during the Busan Superintendent of Education by-election last year.
When asked by reporters immediately after the hearing whether he had known about his son's crime in advance, Jeong replied briefly, "It's all in the media, isn't it?"
He remained silent when asked when he became aware of the former candidate's actions and what his stance was regarding allegations that employees of the On Group affiliates were mobilized for the election.
The police are closely investigating how the On Group, operated by Jeong, was involved in the former candidate's election campaign.
Authorities are verifying facts regarding allegations that the former candidate's side instructed employees of On Group affiliates to post comments supporting the candidate or to join political parties before and after the official campaign period.
Police are also investigating the circumstances behind why the former candidate's approval ratings appeared unusually high in polls conducted by a polling agency known to be an affiliate of the On Group at the time of the election.
Furthermore, the 'staged attack' incident has reignited controversy over so-called 'dad privilege,' with the school foundation and hospital operated by his father being repeatedly mentioned in relation to the former candidate's upbringing and election process.
In the past, after the former candidate transferred to a high school under the school foundation where his father served as chairman following his time at a U.S. high school, his homeroom teacher was indicted and convicted for falsifying his student records.
In this local election, controversy also arose after the Reform Party's Busan chapter nominated an On Hospital Group employee as a proportional representative candidate for the Busan Metropolitan Council, and it was reported that a member of the election camp was hired by the hospital after the election.
Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Ryu Jisu | Graphics by Lee Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News
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