Roh Confused by Corruption Scandals of Former Secretaries

President Roh Moo-hyun mentioned the allegations of Byeon Yang-gyun, a former chief presidential secretary on national policy, in a press briefing held at Cheong Wa Dae Tuesday morning.

“I have no idea what to say. I am quite confused.”

Byeon turned out to be engaged in a power influential scandal, “The so-called Shin Jeong-ah scandal.”

Roh went onto say that, “You may get a sense of how much I was disappointed given that my trust in someone whom I relied upon fell apart. I have been quite confident about what I think is right and wrong. So far, my belief has not been wrong. But this time, my confidence has been broken. This is why I feel confused and concerned.”

“Several advisors recommended me to apologize publicly. But that is not likely as more concerns could arise when I announce my position to the public without fully knowing the circumstances of the case. When the investigation comes to an end, I will express my standing.”

He also touched on another allegation regarding Jeong Yoon-jae, the former protocol secretary.

He said, “I feel deeply sorry for Jeong’s inappropriate behavior, which involved arranging a meeting where bribery was mentioned.”

“Jeong already made an apology, but he could be responsible for more and his case should be further scrutinized. We have no choice but to wait for the outcome of the investigation.”

“If he turns out to have violated the law, I would not make any excuse even if this case is considered a corruption case relating to my associates. Given his position as former secretary, I feel like I should make an apology.”

Earlier, the president criticized the press for raising the allegations by saying, “Unsubstantiated allegations are rife in the press. I feel like I was reading a fiction novel.”

jin0619@donga.com