Foreign Ministry cancels final hiring of ex-prosecutor general's daughter, seeks disciplinary action

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday it has rescinded the final hiring approval of a woman surnamed Shim — daughter of former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung — for a civilian research position at the ministry.

The ministry said it notified the applicant by email on May 29 after a hiring review committee determined she did not meet the publicly announced eligibility requirements. "Following relevant laws and procedures, and after deliberation by the hiring review committee, we have canceled the final hiring approval of the individual who did not satisfy the announced eligibility criteria," the ministry said.

The ministry added that it had attempted to reach her by phone twice before resorting to email, as neither call connected.

The ministry also said it had referred those involved to the Central Disciplinary Committee for disciplinary proceedings. "Disciplinary deliberations are currently under way and a final disposition has not yet been determined, so we are unable to disclose the grounds, level or outcome of any disciplinary action," it said.

Those referred are understood to be the staff members who handled the hiring process at the time.

Shim applied in February last year for a civilian research post at the ministry's diplomatic training institute and passed the document screening, written examination and interview stages.

Allegations subsequently emerged that her work experience had been credited more generously than warranted and that documents she submitted after the application deadline had been accepted.

As the controversy grew, the ministry announced in April last year that it would suspend a decision on her hiring. It took more than a year before it formally canceled her appointment.