Choi Do-sul, President Rohs former 20-year close aide, was arrested for receiving a large amount of money right after presidential election. In the political arena he is called President Rohs steward. This may mean that he is close enough to Roh to talk about his private dealings or events happening among his family. While the staff deals with public works, a steward deals with private ones. In the time of non-military government and the peoples government, Hong In-gil, the presidents former top aide, who was arrested for being involved in Han-bo scandal, and Lee Su-dong, the executive secretary of Atae Foundation permanent committee who was arrested for being involved in Lee Yong-ho gate, are called steward of Sang-do dong and steward of Dong-gyo dong respectively. Namely, it is an era of stewards ordeal throughout three generations.
In Korean dictionaries, a steward is defined as a person who is employed by someone to take care of his house or a position of service in the Protestant church. In English, the former refers to a butler or steward and the latter to a deacon. The origin of steward came from the Acts of Apostles in the Bible. As the beginning church grew larger, many of the poor and widows came, and Jesus 12 disciples appointed seven workers to help them. Paul stresses in Timothy that deacons are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much alcohol, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
The beginning church had many good models of stewards. Stephen, the first martyr who died crying for mercy as the people stoned him, Philip, a remarkable missionary, Phoebe, a female steward who was passionate in relief work, and many more others. However, they didnt expect any rewards for their service which followed the teachings of the Bible. Jimmy Carter, the U.S. ex-president who is respected for his life of faith and service, is also a deacon in a Baptist church. During his reappointment period, his bodyguards code named him deacon.
The Korean Presbyterian churches distinguish between two kinds of deacons. One is a life-long deacon and another is a short-term one which is appointed annually. Some people may know how hard it is to be faithful to a deacons duties. Those who are appointed as deacon cannot smoke or drink without a pang of conscience. It is against the deacons duties to ask money from rich members of the church or to pay his own department with public money from the church. Therefore, many good model deacons in the Korean church, who are of devotion, have recently been insulted because of the deacon of president term referring to Choi. Shouldnt they protest against him?
Oh Myung-chul, Editorial Writer, oscar@donga.com