Show Tolerance to the World in Connection with the Discretion of Song

In connection with the judicial discretion of Song Du-yul, the residing scholar in Germany, President Roh Moo-hyun said on October 13, “A strict legal punishment is important but showing the width, the latitude, and the broad-mindedness of the Korean society to the world could also be significant.”

At this day’s administrative policy speech of the National Assembly, President Roh said, “The problem of Song’s investigation and punishment has been raising issues under the law. The conditions that were laid down in the radical confrontation structure in the era of the partition however, have resulted in a changing world.” Also, “I do not mean that strict law enforcement is subjected however, now is the time to live in perfect harmony and toleration among people, not the times of confrontation, distrust and hatred.” Roh further explained, “Although we will punish Song, the process of punishment should be progressed with self-examination of harmony and toleration.”

In the meantime, in relation to a scandal involving Choi Do-sul, the former presidential secretary for general affairs and the SK Group, President Roh apologized, “I am ashamed of my aides’ suspicion of unreasonable behavior to the whole nation. I coped with any other scandal related to my aides without humiliation but I have no comments on this scandal.”

President Roh’s utterance on Choi was not in the script for the speech.

President Roh said, “I have already known about Choi’s scandal, but when I received the news of him in Bali, Indonesia, everything was going black,” and added, “Due to the chains of controversies and report that I could not confide in them, I thought that the condition of a country might be paralyzed therefore, I decided to put my leadership in the public`s hands even though I may not finish my tenure in office.”

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com