[Editorial] Cheong Wa Dae Concealed Hong-Gul`s Suspicion?

Cheong Wa Dae rebuked former Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Kim Eun-Sung who had reported the alleged corruption of Kim Hong-Gul, third son of the President Kim Dae-Jung, and Choi Kyu-Sun, President of the Future City Environment Co. It is not an understandable reaction.

Hong-Gul has been a target of the opposition party`s criticism, such as he has a luxury house in Los Angeles and spends about 87 million won for a monthly expenses. President Kim would have paid his attention to these issues because the opposition party`s arguments were reported several times. Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae`s internal measure was not revealed. In public, it ignored them as the `opposition party`s groundless political attacks.`

Does Cheong Wa Dae think the alleged corruption of Hong-Gul and Choi as a fabricated incrimination? Did it rebuked the former Deputy Director of the NIS` report as a falsehood to protect the President`s son?

First of all, we are wondering whether President Kim received former Deputy Director Kim`s report. If President Kim has received the alleged report on his son and ignored it, he is not free from the criticism that he dealt the issue with familial and private feelings.

If the report was disappeared in the middle of the Cheong Wa Dae`s report line, it is a big problem. It might have possible by the pressure of Hong-Gul and Choi to the secretary office of the Cheong Wa Dae. Hong-Gul said to the former Deputy Director Kim that, ¡°Why are you snaring me,¡° on a telephone call. If there were such pressures, the pressured and who were pressured should be reprimanded.

In addition, there is a rumor that Choi has been involved in an arms-trading. Current suspicion on Choi would be but the visible peak of on an iceberg. If Cheong Wa Dae tries to ignore the suspicion without thorough investigation because of the President`s son`s involvement, it will become a national tragedy. It is the reason why we are cautiously watching the Cheong Wa Dae`s response.