“Anti-corruption Investigation Needs to be Controlled.”

In relation with anti-corruption investigation, President Roh Moohyun said on the 26th, “we should correct wrongdoings under established principles, but the process should be reasonable and objective.” “If it is possible to control the pace of anti-corruption investigation, it should be done so in order to avoid public concerns,” he emphasized.

In the first meeting with presidential secretary and aides after his inauguration Tuesday, Roh said, “In the early days of a new administration, it tends to conduct anti-corruption investigation all at once. This can give an impression that it is merely the same kind of one-off effort undertaken by each new administration to the people,” according to his spokeswoman Song Kyounhee.

Roh also pointed out, “Arrests should not be used as a way to allay the public sentiment.”

Roh`s comment came as the prosecution is stepping up its crackdown on corporate malpractice and high-profile corruption cases. His opponents have charged the probes as being politically motivated.

Roh`s comment came as the prosecution of Choi Tae-won, chairman of the SK Group and Hanwha Group affiliates is taking place and high-profile corruption cases are probed.

Moon Jae-in, the senior secretary for civic affairs held an official briefing and said, “It does not have any political motivation, neither to restrain anti-corruption investigation, nor to drive forward.” He also explained, “He meant people should not expect the prosecution to extend its probes into other chaebol groups.”

He added, “Recently, some harbor suspicion that the new administration conducts the politically motivated investigations, and it makes firms and people worried. So he just made clear that the new administration does not have any political intention.”

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com