◀ Anchor ▶
Baek Kyung-red, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resigned amid controversy over a conflict of interest, and Ji Young-mi, director of the Korea Pasteur Institute, was appointed as his successor.
However, controversy is brewing as Ji’s spouse is known to have been a friend of President Yoon Seok-yeol for 55 years.
This is Reporter Lee Ki-joo.
◀ Report ▶
Baek Kyung-ran, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, took office after criticizing the Moon Jae-in government’s corona quarantine as “political quarantine.”
He was known to own stocks in a bio company, and immediately after taking office, he was the subject of conflict of interest controversy.
[백경란 질병관리청장 (지난 8월 30일)]
“No company is involved in the process of consulting the stocks I own.
The stocks were disposed of, but later, the fact that the younger brother applied for an outside director position in a bio company and revealed that his sister was the head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention became a problem, and eventually he expressed his. gratitude
The President’s Office explained that it had “done its duties, such as establishing a framework for scientific quarantine,” but it was said that the conflict of interest debate and the situation where the number of confirmed cases of Corona 19 exceeded 80,000 per day had effect.
Ji Young-mi, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases of the National Institute of Health and a member of the WHO Corona 19 Emergency Committee, was appointed as his successor.
However, as soon as my information got out, controversy arose.
Director Ji Young-mi is married to Cheol-woo Lee, a law professor at Yonsei University, and President Seok-yeol Yoon attended elementary school and university together.
I have been a close friend for 55 years.
There was also a report that Professor Lee sent a text message to President Yoon immediately after the presidential election, saying, ‘Let’s meet again after retirement.’
[이철우/ 연세대 법학과 교수 (CBS 라디오 ‘김종대의 뉴스업’, 지난해 6월)]
“I’m not in a position where a university professor can come in and help me to the best of my ability. Wouldn’t it be nice to listen to President Yoon when he wants to talk…”
It was intended that he would not hold public office, but his wife was appointed head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The opposition criticized him again for being an assistant.
[오영환/ 더불어민주당 원내대변인]
“This is the idea of having Yoon Seok-yeol sit as a person. The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was not created to share seats with my people.”
On the other hand, the Office of the President emphasized that Director Ji is a self-proclaimed expert on infectious diseases and was appointed as a special assistant to the Prime Minister during the Moon Jae-in administration, and that he is the person correct for the control tower for disease control.
However, it seems difficult to avoid criticism for not being able to escape the narrow talent pool focused on academic connections and recognition.
This is Lee Ki-joo from MBC News.
Video comment: Kim Hae-dong, Kim Hee-gun
Video editing: Shin Jae-ran
MBC News awaits your report 24 hours a day.
▷ Telephone 02-784-4000
▷ Email mbcjebo@mbc.co.kr
▷ Report Kakao Talk @ mbc
