Kim Young-su alleges Defense Minister An Gyu-baek lied at confirmation hearing about military desertion

Kim Young-su, director of the Korea Defense Rights Institute, has gone public with a criminal complaint alleging that Defense Minister An Gyu-baek gave false testimony at his National Assembly confirmation hearing regarding an alleged unauthorized absence during his military service.

Kim announced Monday at the National Assembly press center that he had filed a complaint against An on June 27 for violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly, and that the Yongsan Police Station has received the case and is investigating.

According to the complaint, An allegedly went absent without leave for about seven months around 1984 while serving as a reserve-duty soldier at a company under the Army's 35th Division in Daesan-myeon, Gochang-gun, having obtained his unit commander's approval through improper means. The complaint further alleges that after the unauthorized absence was confirmed, An was arrested by military police and served an additional roughly eight months — including 30 days of detention and the approximately seven-month absence period — before being discharged on Aug. 31, 1985.

Kim said that despite these details being recorded in An's military service documents, An testified at his confirmation hearing on July 15 last year that he had no record of unauthorized absence or detention.

Kim said he had raised the allegations through media outlets and social media on multiple occasions and repeatedly invited An to file defamation or false accusation charges against him if the claims were untrue, but that the minister's side has yet to offer any explanation or take legal action.

"They are hoping that, without any fact-checking process, time will pass and the issue will be buried under other news," Kim said. "They are under the illusion that power can conceal the truth." He added, "For the pride and honor of active-duty service members, the truth about the minister's desertion must come to light. I believe all citizens have the right to know the truth."

Kim went on to say that the minister's continued silence risks prolonging public doubt over "whether the minister's statements are false or whether Kim Young-su's claims are true," and warned that this could "significantly undermine the authority of the defense minister's command over military administration and operations, as well as national defense and defense diplomacy."

Kim demanded the release of An's military service records and said he hoped "the matter will be resolved early through a clear explanation and response." He added that he was prepared to face criminal punishment if his claims proved false, and called on An to "make a pledge to squarely accept criminal and social responsibility if he gave false testimony."

Kim also said that senior presidential staff in the civil affairs office and some ruling party lawmakers on the National Assembly's defense committee had reviewed An's military records at the time of last July's confirmation hearing, and that those who recognized the desertion record but concealed it and allowed a "deserter reservist" to be appointed defense minister must be held accountable.