[Editorial] Cheong Wa Dae Confirmed as Center of Corruption

The fact that Park Joon-Young, former head of the Government Information Agency, had met several times with Yoon Tae-Sik, major shareholder of Pass 21 and murderer of Suzie Kim, and that the hand of the scandal has wrapped itself around even Cheong Wa Dae have come to light.

Shin Kwang-Ok, former head of the Civil Affairs, has already been arrested in connection with the `Jin Seung-Hyun Gate` while Kim Jeong-Gil, former senior secretary to the president, Lee Jong-Chan, former head of the National Intelligence Service, and Namgoog Seuk, former Minister of Information and Communication have been found to have met with Yoon several times. One Mr. Park, former minister of state, who is an influential member of the ruling party, may also be connected to the scandals. After all this, can it be said that these scandals are individual corruption cases and have no direction connection with the central leadership in the government? Is it fair for them to insist that the arrest of several individuals has resolved the issue and that there is nothing more to discuss?

President Kim Dae-Jung spoke at a cabinet meeting held on the 8th, "Individual venture businessmen have created problems and putting the administration in a difficult spot. The disclosure of public officials being involved in the scandals make it hard for us to face the nation." Yet, we do not agree with the President`s statement. It is not true that individual businessmen have created trouble for the administration, but rather the administration has `colluded` with individual venture businessmen. It is becoming clear that those involved in the scandal were not merely individual government officials, but the core of administrative leadership. This is not a problem with venture capital, but the problem of government leadership that has formed an unjust relationship with venture capital.

Consequently, we must not stop at the arrest of a few officials but fully investigate corruption in the administration itself. It is not enough to deal with the problem superficially. The whole body and root must be extricated.

Mr. Park, former head of the Government Information Agency, had a close relationship with the President and it is hard to see him as the central figure behind the `Yoon gate`. Since it is hard to see him as an influential power, there are questions about someone behind him. At the meeting with economic leaders held on the 7th, President Kim denied involvement in the corruptions cases of his close aids. The questions, however, surrounding all these gates and the corruptions in the leadership will not disappear.

The investigation of Mr. Park`s involvement should serve as an opportunity to find out the whole truth. Any more effort to cover up the facts will only bring greater distress to the administration and the nation. An exhaustive investigation is in order for Cheong Wa Dae to escape the shadow of being the center of the scandal.