Past 10 years see 89 ¡®Chong Wa Dae¡¯ scams

In the past 10 years, there have been 89 cases of so-called "Chong Wa Dae false representation scams," in which con artists pose as family members of those in power, and 136 have been arrested.

According to an audit report submitted by the National Police agency to the opposition Grand National Party Rep. Yoo Sung-Geun on the National Assembly's administrative audit commission, such scams generally increase sharply two years into an administration's term and then sharply decrease toward the end of the term.

Toward the final two years of former President Roh Tae-Woo's administration, 1991 and 1992, there were four and three Chong Wa Dae false representation scams, while the first year of former President Kim Young-Sam¡¯s administration saw eight such scams in 1993.

However, in 1994, during the second year of Kim¡¯s administration, the number of scams increased to 19 cases, then 15 cases in 1995 and 19 cases in 1996. During the last year of his administration, in 1997, the number of cases dropped to four.

For the current administration, the first year in 1998 recorded four such cases. Then during the second year of the administration, the scams increased sharply to 10 cases.

Among the scams in the past 10 years, the one involving the greatest monetary sum was in 1994, when a scam artist defrauded 80 billion won from investors with the promise to purchase land confiscated during the late President Park Jung-Hee's administration.

The most common impersonations by the swindlers were "special administrative presidential aid," "Chong Wa Dae secret investigative agent," "personal fried to the Head of the Chong Wa Dae Security Bureau," "adopted son or daughter of a high-ranking official," and "distant cousin to the first lady."

Yoon Young-Chan yyc11@donga.com