`Chung Bong-joo marketing`

The share price of an education company was 6,000 won (5.30 U.S. dollars) late last year, but almost doubled this year. This is because Jeong Cheong-rae, former lawmaker of the now-defunct Democratic Party who was once an external director of the company, has been found to be a mentor of Chung Bong-joo, a former lawmaker who is in prison for spreading false rumors ahead of the 2007 presidential election. Chung has suddenly become a star and is even affecting the stock price of a certain company. A person in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, is selling rice cakes via Twitter by taking advantage of Chung’s name. He sends Chung money amounting to 5 percent of sales.

Chung calls himself a “future power.” This is why his fan club is named “Chung Bong-joo and Future Powers.” Before his indictment, the number of fan club members was around 130,000 but has since shot up to more than 190,000. The power of Chung’s fan club was shown at the national convention of the main opposition Democratic Unity Party. After members registered as citizen electors en masse, candidates for the party’s leadership began racing to mention Chung to use him to their advantage. Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, who headed a coalition to press for his release, and fellow candidates Moon Sung-keun and Park Young-sun, both of whom chaired coalition committees, received the most votes at the convention.

In the run-up to the April 11 parliamentary elections, politicians have launched marketing campaigns featuring Chung to take advantage of both his fan club and the online podcast “I’m a Cheater” that he co-hosted before his imprisonment. Han, who is now leader of the Democratic United Party, visited Hongseong Penitentiary to see Chung. Her party also held a countermeasure meeting and a news conference Thursday. Next month, the party will organize discussions, rallies and marathons and operate buses to visit Chung in cooperation with his fan club and the podcast. A revision to election law will be pursued to facilitate his release. All of this shows that Chung is a present power, not a future one.

The Democratic United Party, which seeks to take power, is making a fuss to release a criminal who has violated the law. This is an act of ridiculing the rule of law and spreading a trend to make light of the law to the people. If the rule of law collapses, how can the party govern the country even if it takes power? It is doubtful that the people will vote for a party that has ridiculed the rule of law. Hopefully, the main opposition party will not be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Editorial Writer Lee Jin-nyong (jinnyong@donga.com)