[Editorial] Unqualified Justice Minister

What does the government think about people? It is tantalizing to hear that the minister of Justice, who should be responsible for the justice of fair legal execution, left a memorandum of ``loyalty oath``, in which the minister declared that he would do his best [for the ruling party] to take power again.

In brief, newly-appointed Justice minister Ahn Dong-Soo is not qualified to perform his duty. The first draft of the inaugural speech, which was distributed on May 21 to the press offices by the ruling Millennium Democratic Party`s Seocho-B district chapter in southern Seoul, was filled with Mr. Ahn`s oaths of loyalty [to the President]. Mr. Ahn declared twice ``To devote his life for the President.``

The fact that minister Ahn emphasized re-reigning of the government in the problematic draft and declared his loyalty to the President betrays his position to work only for the President [not for the people]. It sounds like he would maneuver the legal system if necessary. While pretending to be a human rights lawyer, it is incredible that Mr. Ahn has said such a feudal utterances as `mountainous royal grace.`

The minister Ahn’s associates explained that he did not write the draft himself. They argued that Mr. Ahn`s colleague had made the draft of the inaugural speech and handed it over to a secretary and finally the secretary typed the document in the minister`s computer. Therefore, they insisted that the minister did not even preview the draft and in actuality, he simply read a different inaugural speech that was prepared by the Ministry`s officials.

However, related sources of the Seocho-B district chapter testified that minister Ahn himself had made the document and printed it out in the afternoon of May 21. Those who once unanimously testified that Mr. Ahn wrote the draft, suddenly changed his or her words only a day after the disputes burst out, saying ``We don`t know anything about it.``

Considering the context of this incident, minister Ahn prepared this draft to convey his loyalty to the President at the appointment ceremony. However, this cannot be forgiven if the minister`s associates lied on the draft simply to avoid the immediate crisis.

It is not excusable even if the document was made by a person in Mr. Ahn`s office, without mentioning the lawyer Lee, who said, ``I prepared the draft according to the conviction of minister Ahn.``

The disputes over the minister Ahn`s `loyalty oath` can not be ignored as a simple incident. As long as Mr. Ahn is in office, the fairness of the legal execution will be questioned. The sooner [the President] corrects his appointment, the better.