[Editorial] "If So, Hyundai Will Go Under" That`s Why to Disclose Truth

The presidential secretary for political affairs, Cho Soon-yong, is saying, "If all the details of the secret transfer are disclosed, Hyundai will go under and the inter-Korean relationship will be damaged." It is that with this reason, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae cannot come out to disclose all the truth nor accept an independent counsel`s inquiry. However, we think that Cheong Wa Dae should disclose all facts in detail all the more if it was the reason why it denied explanations.

Do Mr. Cho`s remarks suggest that Hyundai has engaged in all sorts of irregularities such as tax evasion under the protection of the incumbent government? And, conversely, he is now hinting that the conglomerate`s illegal activities cannot but be overlooked.

His far-fetched explanation is difficult for reasonable people to understand. But President Kim is trying to justify the secret transfer saying that dealing with an antinational regime is going beyond law. It is that what Hyundai did is beyond law, so we need not and should not get to the bottom of the issue. For what is the cause here? It is that we should gloss over the case for the sake of national interests. However, who will believe it is for the sake of national interests, as a string of allegations of Hyundai affiliates having secretly paid huge amounts of money to Pyongyang come to the surface.

In addition, the definition of the North as an antinational regime just seems an effort to keep secret the whole truth. Of course, under the existing law, the North is an antinational regime. However, the incumbent government has never called North Korea like this for the last five years. Rather, in fact, it has put a "special relationship" between the North and South first, so consequently the positive law has become invalid. When President Kim applies the "special relationship" to the so-called sunshine policy of engaging with the North while he cites it as an "antinational regime" in the allegations of the secret transfer, he is not consistent.

We once again urge for President Kim to be frank with the public about the secret payments to the North. It is the only way to put the inter-Korean relationships on the right track and establish a new order for mutual cooperation. And it is really for the sake of national interests.