The government plans to issue amnesty and "restoration of rights" for businessmen implicated in the illegal presidential campaign fund scandal, on the occasion of Buddha's Birthday May 15. Subsequently there is talk of a mass amnesty for politicians found guilty of involvement in the same on Liberation Day, which comes August 15th. One wonders what special reason there is to want to do an amnesty so soon for people who dealt in illegal campaign funds amounting to tens of billions of Won through close collections between business and government, and during an election that determined what the next government would be.
The reason the government gives is that the big business community has chosen to adopt the transparency compact and that there is a national consensus calling for the economy to be revived. Whenever there were irregularities in the past, however, business was determined to clean up its act and still the were the same irregularities. Also, the part about reviving the economy is not right because most of the businessmen who would receive amnesty are currently active in business as it is. It would make sense to issue amnesty after the next presidential election, once it is judged that the illegal dealings in political funds have disappeared. Having amnesty for businessmen lead to amnesty for politicians is something that particularly must be guarded against.
It is also problematic that Gang Geum Won, the president of the textile company Changsin, is to be included in list of people receiving amnesty and having their "rights restored." Gang was investigated on suspicions of involvement in a major "power scandal," and yet he was punished for corruption on a personal level – for things like embezzlement and tax evasion. For that reason he does not qualify as a businessman involved in illegal presidential campaign funds. In addition it has only been 6 months since his sentence was finalized. It would be hard to call the move legitimate if the president gives a super-speedy amnesty to one of his aides while he is still in office and for no legitimate reason.
Amnesty and "restoration of rights" measures have been issued so much that Korean society has come to feel an obsession with amnesty every time a major holiday comes around. That has led to paternalism and very much hurt legal awareness. The president's right to issue amnesty must not be used as a tool for the rational maintenance of social order and serve to destroy social justice just as it was barely beginning to come back to life. The authority to give amnesty is a unique right vested in the president, but it is the people who commission him with that right. That authority must at least be used within the limits of what is acceptable to the people.
The Hankyoreh, 7 May 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
Not Time for 'Illegal Campaign Fund' Amnesty |
