[Opinion] Big Brother

The chairman of the ruling Grand National Party, Kang Jae-sup, told reporters yesterday, “Since President Lee Myung-bak was elected last year, I even refrain from smoking in front of him. But others came up to the president and called him “hyeong (big brother) at a dinner for lawmakers-elect on April 22 in the presidential office.” Kang also expressed frustration, saying, “Since lawmakers-elect toasted boilermakers one after the other by mixing beer and soju, empty liquor glasses piled up on the main table. During the terms of Presidents Roh Tae-woo and Kim Young-sam, going up to the main table and proposing a drink was unimaginable.”

When Roh had a private drinking session with his classmates from the Korea Military Academy, one of his classmates is known to have called the then president by his first name. But it is unheard of that someone calls the incumbent chief executive “big brother” as Kang described. Before President Lee took office, other “big brother” jokes had circulated.

One famous story involved senior party lawmaker Lee Jae-oh, one of the president’s closest aides. During the term of the 15th National Assembly in 1996, he was reportedly fascinated by then lawmaker Lee Myung-bak’s plan to build a nationwide grand canal. “I’ll be a lawmaker and you, my brother, should be president,” Lee Jae-oh said.

Comedian Roh Hong-cheol also joked on a TV show, “Lee Myung-bak and I are like brothers.”

At the head table at the dinner in question were the president, Kang, lawmakers Chung Mong-joon and Jeon Jae-hee, and lawmaker-elect Kang Myung-soon with their spouses. Those who made the boilermakers were lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo and lawmaker-elect Kim Hyo-jae, both of whom attended the same university as the president. “Nobody among the president’s associates calls him ‘big brother,’” one party source said. “Several of those who attended Korea University [the president’s alma mater] might have gone overboard that day.”

Kim Hyo-jae, however, said, “How dare someone call the president ‘big brother’ at the presidential office? Kang might have misunderstood.”

Along with growing curiosity over who called the president “big brother,” a number of theories are circulating on why Kang criticized lawmakers for something that happened almost a week ago. One theory is that as a person who has witnessed factional strife in previous administrations more closely than anyone else, Kang might have sought to send a warning to self-styled “real power” types surrounding the president that they could ruin themselves by peddling power.

Editorial Writer Kim Chang-hyuk (chang@donga.com)