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| President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks to reporters as he enters his office in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
President Yoon Suk-yeol reaffirmed his commitment to cracking down on corruption and dismissed accusations that the investigations targeting opposition heavyweights and former government officials are politically motivated.
Asked about investigations into high-profile politicians of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Yoon told reporters Friday that they are nothing more than the normal operation of the country's justice system and stressed that it is improper to politicize the issue.
"After a change of government, there have been investigations into allegations brought up in the past, because what will happen cannot be the subject of investigation," Yoon said in comments aimed at those claiming that the ongoing probes are a form of political retaliation. "Wasn't it the same case during the previous DPK administration?"
Baek Woon-gyu, who served as the minister of trade, industry and energy under the Moon Jae-in administration, is being investigated for allegedly forcing 13 chiefs of public agencies under the ministry to resign after Moon took office in May 2017. Rep. Park Sang-hyuk, who worked as a high-ranking official at Moon's presidential office (2017-19), is suspected of being an accomplice.
Recently, prosecutors also questioned the former minister and vice minister of gender equality ― Chung Young-ai and Kim Kyung-seon ― over allegations that they were involved in drafting campaign pledges for former DPK presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, who lost to Yoon in the March 9 election.
Lee, who served mayor of Seongnam (2010-18) before being elected as a lawmaker in Incheon, is embroiled in several allegations, including embezzling taxes and giving favors to certain property developers, during his eight-year term.
The DPK is calling the moves by police and prosecutors a political vendetta by the Yoon administration.
"The Yoon administration should stop the coordinated investigations for political revenge," Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the DPK's interim leader, said during a meeting at the National Assembly. "The investigation of Rep. Park will inevitably lead to the top decision makers of the Moon administration. Lee, too, appears to have become their target because he is one of the potential contenders for the next presidency."
Rep. Park Hong-keun, the party's floor leader, said such investigations could divide the nation, which should be unified at a time when many people are suffering under worsening economic conditions.
The two lawmakers said the party will launch a committee next week to respond to such investigations more effectively. But it remains to be seen if their arguments will resonate convincingly with the public.
The previous administration shrugged off similar criticisms under the premise of eradicating deep-rooted "evils" and corruption, calling for investigations targeting two former presidents ― Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak. Eventually, the two ex-presidents and more than 200 others, mostly high-ranking government officials, were arrested. Lee is still in prison.
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| In this March 6, 2019, file photo, former President Lee Myung-bak walks into Seoul High Court in southern Seoul to attend a hearing. Lee was eventually sentenced to 17 years in prison after being indicted on multiple corruption charges as a result of the Moon Jae-in administration's anti-corruption campaigns targeting conservative politicians and former government officials. Lee is still in prison. Yonhap |
The ruling party assailed the DPK for comparing the investigations to a vendetta.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, said upholding the rule of law should not be branded as a form of political retaliation.
"At the beginning of the Moon administration, each ministry launched a committee to fight 'deep-rooted evils,' then it searched computer data and revealed it to the press … It led to a sweeping investigation of conservative former government officials … That was political revenge, but the current investigations are not," Kweon told reporters.
He argued that the ongoing investigations began after corruption accusations were brought up during the Moon administration, which he said should have handled them earlier.
Such sentiment appears to be shared by key officials of the Yoon administration.
Han Dong-hoon, minister of justice and former senior prosecutor, reasserted his will Thursday to fight corruption, saying "no one is above the law."
"Prosecutors and police officers are paid by taxpayers to investigate corruption," he said. "The public wouldn't be convinced that investigations of such serious crimes are acts of political revenge."
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