[Opinion] “I Spent about 30,000 US dollars“

This is a story I experienced at the Seattle Airport, U.S., on my way back home after attending a conference last summer. 10 people in their 60s, who looked well-off, were preparing to leave for home after finishing a group travel in the U.S. I happened to eavesdrop conversation among them. One of them was wife of a former minister during the 6th republic. When one of them asked the wife of a former minister how much she spent during the trip, the wife of a former minister said, "I spent about 30,000 US dollar."

I felt absurd and bitter listening to their conversation. How could they spend money amounting to my annual salary for such a short trip? I could not but wonder how they made such travel expenses. It was difficult for me to understand how the woman whose husband was a minister fifteen years ago could do such a luxurious travel. Some may say that I should not be concerned since one travels with one`s own money. However, it was more difficult to understand because the former minister was not involved in various corruption cases in which ministers, such as Ahn Jeong-Nam, had to resign due to the suspicion of property multiplication. It seems that being a minister in our country makes a lot of profit even if it is a one-time post. We know that how one can accumulate property by becoming a minister even once. Our economy has been a development model following the typical connection between politics and economy. Our nation faced the international financial crisis in 1997 due to the economic system called crony capitalism, such as various involvements in interests, approvals, and favors for human personnel, and we have not completely overcome the aftermath of the financial crisis yet.

During the Park Jeong-Hee regime called the development dictatorship, there were many corruption cases in the process of distributing imported loans since the necessary resources for the economic development were not sufficient. During the military regimes, there were various corruption cases which resulted from the establishment of ruling funds (what a shameful word) to compensate the legitimacy of the regime with money. During Chun Doo-Hwan regime which pledged to realized the so-called just society, Chang Young-Ja case in which President`s relatives were involved took place followed by the Myongsung case, Susuh case, and the approval of golf course case. During the Roh Tae-Woo regime, various corruptions cases, such as Yulgok Business and the nuclear power generation corruption, broke out. The Kim Yong-Sam regime`s civilian administration, which inaugurated in the midst of people`s expectation, was not an exception in terms of corruption, such as Hanbo corruption case, selection of the private broadcasting, and the lobby case of high speed subway train, due to the connection between politics and economy. The current government, which considers itself to be the government of the people, is tainted by various scandals and corruption cases. Since the clothing case which took place in the beginning of the current government, various venture gates, such as Chung Hyun-Jun, Jin Seong-Hyun, and Lee Yong-Ho cases, and the recent suspicion of the Baekgung area in Boondang continued to take place. Although they cannot be said to be the same types of the corruption in the past, these cases give impression that corruption and absurdities of the connection between politics and economy begin to be formalized.

Despite national amnesia which is a big shortcoming of our nation and the sentimental broad-mindedness, the best way to disconnect politics from economy can be done by the self-efforts of the politicians and government officials. The Grand National Party accomplished an expected goal of victory by revealing various corruption cases at the 10.25 by-election. The Millennium Democratic Party seems to have entered the stage of electing the candidate.

Whether one is minister or lawmaker, or low ranking government official, one should know that one`s own role is delegated from people. However, as long as there are government officials who abuse their authority as a means to accumulate property or rule over people as if their authority to approve various matters is granted by the heaven, our nation cannot remove the stigma of the corrupted republic. Although expectation on the new government was big, it became cynicism beyond disappointment as such phenomena continued since the Kim Yong-Sam regime. Thus, phenomenon of moral slackness became prevalent among people, and the whole system of society has not operated properly. How wasteful and ineffective in terms of society is this? Everybody should be awakened for the newly started millennium not to continue the gate republic tainted by corruption.

Yoon Yong-Man (Professor of Economics at Incheon University, Visiting Editorialist of Dong-a Ilbo)