[Editorial] Why Is It a Conspiracy Where Truth Disappeared?

There is no phrase but to say that it is shifting the responsibility to gloss over the truth for the Uri Party to raise the allegation of “conspiracy” in regard to our report raising suspicions over Rep. Jang Bok-sim’s allegedly having lobbied for proportional representation using money. It is definite distortion even though an official of Uri’s fact-finding mission said it’s an “over-report,” and Rep. Jang in question said, “It’s a political maneuver to make a false charge against a certain lawmaker who has been doing critical activities against Dong-A Ilbo.

Our daily only reported what was confirmed after we were tipped off to Rep. Jang’s having distributed money to the party’s influential figures with the selection of candidates for the proportional representation, and collected the news materials on that. We can’t understand how it could be making a false charge against a lawmaker who has been doing critical activities against Dong-A Ilbo. Bringing on much criticism, Rep. Jang did acknowledge that she gave 1 million won of promotion funds each, and was given back part of that money that was not accounted for in receipts.

It was Rep. Jang herself who cited the real name of a specified lawmaker who had been critical of Dong-A Ilbo. She implied that it was the “political maneuvering of the media,” disclosing a real name of a specified lawmaker through the data, refuting our report. She finally assumed her co-lawmaker to prove “conspiracy.”

The Uri Party should face the kernel of a problem. Even though the party’s fact-finding mission made a provisional conclusion saying, “It’s not violation of the positive law” regarding the promotion funds in question and special party expenses Rep. Jang allegedly contributed, suspicion is not disappearing. Taking the inconsistent amount of her properties reported as an example, it is natural for us to have doubt on the source of the money. Isn’t it too clear that these suspicions were why the prosecution started a secret investigation?

We suggest the Uri Party officially ask the prosecution to publicly investigate if it really believes it to be derived from conspiracy. Let’s start from the one million won note in pursuing, charging special investigation departments with dealing with the case, not public safety departments. It’s an easy task to find the source of that amount of money. There’s no reason to hesitate.