Getting Offensive is Best Defense

Premier-select Chang Sang began to react aggressively, from 30th, to the questions by the congressmen. It was the second day of her approval hearing. On the first day, she was a little passive in answering.

On 29th, Chang expressed “deep apologies” from time to time. But on 30th, she responded aggressively to the questions casting doubts on her morality and ethics, regarding, for example, the rumor about her speculative investment in real estate.

Chang snapped at the badgering questions by Congressman Shim Jae-chul of the National Grand National Party (GNP), “I am not the indicted under cross-examination. If you want to preach, you don’t have to ask me questions.”

Nonetheless, Shim would not let her go, keeping asking, “All the citizens watching this hearing on TV believe that you falsely changed your official addresses for speculation purposes.” Chang replied, “That’s what you think, not what the citizens think. You allegation is like campaigning for your reelection.”

Lee Choo-young of the GNP asked, “How could you have amassed your almost cash asset worth 1,400,000,000 won?” In response, she said, “That question is very embarrassing if it was not made to paint me as a thief. I had a W3,000 lunch instead of W 10,000 one, and used only metro-buses instead of taxis. That strict way, I have saved. You should not blame for my thriftiness.”

She also blew a counter-punch to Kim Youn-gyun’s questions regarding the rumor about her speculation by saying, “You are just pushing me into one direction without thinking about fairness and equilibrium. You would not feel comfortable if in my place. This way, you seem to trying to write a novel. I feel really sad about it.”

She also added, “This hearing is being performed in a one-way manner. I know it may sound rude. But, I think we should set the example in the hearing. It is the first time in our history. That way, people would follow our suit.”

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com