Korean ambassador to Washington Hong Seok Hyun and his family illegally purchased farmland on four occasions, a fact that has come apparent in his declaration of assets as a public servant. In 1975, 1984, 2002, and during 1979 to 1981 the Resident Registration Numbers of Hong, his mother, wife, and first son were used to purchase land in Icheon and Namyangju, both in Gyeonggi Province, land totaling around 22,000 pyeong. Hong was working at Cheong Wa Dae in 1984 and so was a government official. In 2002 he was the president of the newspaper the JoongAng Ilbo, a position that demands ethical standards no less important than for public officials. He violated the long-respected rule of Korean farming, that he who owns farmland uses it for farming, and it was speculative real estate investment, which is considered one of Korea's social ills. That is a serious disqualification for a public servant.
It is distressing to see yet another problem like this after four cabinet-level officials have already resigned over similar suspicions this year alone, beginning with former Deputy Prime Minister of Education and Human Resources Development Lee Ki Jun. It is unfortunate that the country's leadership has such low ethical standards. Hong moved quickly to give an explanation and apologize. Apologies do cannot heal everything, however. Civic groups like the Peoples' Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and the Citizens Coalition for Economic Justice are either calling for Hong to resign voluntarily or for Cheong Wa Dae to remove him.
Cheong Wa Dae says it determined that the goal of the real estate deals was not speculative investment, and that it did not think the issue hurt his ability or qualifications as ambassador to the United States. Hong was chosen at the end of last year and was formally appointed on February 15. That may have been Cheong Wa Dae's view of the situation then but if it still thinks so it is not taking things seriously enough, because the people are more critical of such activity, as seen in how even since then cabinet-level officials have had to resign. It is a lame excuse to claim that Hong's past activities do not relate to his work. The officials who have resigned, however, ended up having to do so for ethical reasons more than for anything directly relating to the work at hand. Furthermore, ambassadors are Korea's face to the world, and among those the ambassador to the US is someone with an especially important role as such.
There can be debate about what the legal and ethical standards for public officials should be, and indeed there does need to be some rational standards established. Until there is a consensus about what the new criteria should be, however, in our view Hong should be held up to the same standards that have been applied to others. Otherwise the standards used in making nominations will fall apart.
One understands that with the US having agreed to accept Hong at Korea's ambassador it would not be easy to withdraw him given the diplomatic face involved, but the stricter public awareness deserves to have Cheong Wa Dae give the issue serious thought. The people might start to think that Hong is being given special treatment because he is the owner of a media company. That is why the man himself needs to choose wisely.
The Hankyoreh, 18 April 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Ambassador to US is No Exception |
