By Park Song-wu, Lee Yong-sung
Staff Reporters

President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday ordered thorough investigations into allegations that the newly-appointed Culture and Tourism Minister Chung Dong-chae peddled his influence in the appointment of a professor in a Seoul university, days before he joined the Cabinet.

Vice Culture Minister Oh Jee-chul, who had allegedly delivered the request for the special favor on Chung’s behalf, tendered his resignation last night.

Chong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Jong-min quoted Roh as saying, ``Not a single suspicion should be left unchecked.’’

Minister Chung, however, strongly denied the allegation, saying, ``I neither did step into the appointment nor did I have any knowledge about the allegation.’’

The allegation was brought up by Jung Jin-soo, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, who claimed that on June 17 and 18, just days before Chung’s appointment, he received a request through Oh to help Kim Hyo, wife of Seo Young-seok, president of an Internet magazine, ``Seoprise,’’ to join the university faculty.

Jung claimed that she passed the interview and is waiting for an official appointment to join the university as a professor.

Chung Wa Dae had been aware of the case, as Jung submitted a petition.

Vice minister Oh said in a press conference, ``I’ve not received any instructions from Minister Chung.’’ He, however, admitted that he had spoken with Jung about selecting Kim Hyo but not as a request by Minister Chung.

``I’d got a phone call from Kim and I recommended her to Prof. Jung,’’ Oh said. ``I heard from Kim that her husband, formerly a politics reporter, has an acquaintance with Chung, and I’d talked Jung about her husband’s relationship with the new minister. That’s all. I was surprised to see that it being evolving into a case of flexing influence.’’

Oh underlined, ``It was me who was asked to recommend Kim by herself through the phone, and the minister has never met her or her husband or talked on the phone.’’

Chung, a former journalist and three-term lawmaker now with the ruling Uri Party, was selected as the new minister on Wednesday.

The minister and Kim’s husband have been known each other from the time both were politics reporters of local dailies. Oh, on the other hand, came to know Kim as she joined the ministry’s project to promote a culture program in Kwangju.

im@koreatimes.co.kr

danlee@koreatimes.co.kr