[Editorial] CCEJ shows conflict of interests

The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) demanded in October last year demanded of heads of 13 state-invested corporations in connection with its probes into their expense accounts and later in November sent its official documents to the heads of five major state-run and private firms, soliciting financial support. The CCEJ actually received the money amounting to 12 million won before its fund-raising event.

In short, the CCEJ's activity runs against its goal of realizing social justice and morality.

In the first place, in view of the timing of the CCEJ's requests for the firms' provision of information related to its expense-account probes and the solicitation of financial aid, the pronounced probes are suspected of having been used as a threat to squeeze money from the firms.

The coalition defended its actions by saying that its financial aid solicitation was made ahead of the fund-raising night event and had nothing to do with its requests for the firms' disclosure of confidential funds or expenses. However, the CCEJ's conduct was wrong because the firms facing structural reforms might have found it difficult to reject giving financial support to the influential civic organization.

During the campaign period for the parliamentary elections last year, the coalition vowed not to accept money from the government any more, when criticism was raised that it was not entitled to leading a defeat campaign against the unqualified candidates, while receiving the state subsidy.

And it does not stand reason that the civic body may take money from state-run corporations, despite its promise not to accept money from the government. This naturally provoked criticism from the public enterprises that the coalition's request for financial aid is tantamount to misappropriation of state budget fund.

More deplorable is the fact that, despite its taking the money from the public firms was confirmed, the CCEJ is excusing itself without self-reflection, exposing its moral hazard. Following CCEJ's secretary-general Lee Seok-Yeon's clarification that the coalition's demand for contributions had nothing to do with the request for information on the firms' confidential funds, some other CCEJ officials stressed that such money requests were a traditional practice.

As the incident stirred up public outcries, the civic group pledged that it would not take financial support from state-invested firms in the future. Although the organization showed a gesture of self-reflection, it needs to come up with a thorough self-introspection with corresponding actions.

Understandably, some public sympathy goes to financial difficulties facing the CCEJ and other civic organizations in the country. But they ought to manage themselves with the funds they earn through public fund-raising campaign, sales of books and publications, undertakings of projects and so on, while leaving no room for suspicions over their fund acquisitions.

We remember that the civic organizations successfully carried out many programs.

And we are expecting that they will be doing well in the future. Before any thing else, the CCEJ and other non-governmental groups are urged to conduct thorough review of their past activities and comprehensive realignment of their movements.