[Editorial] Ambassador Hong Must Make the Next Move

Illegally recording someone's conversation is mean and abominable, but the conversation between the two top men at Samsung and the JoongAng Ilbo is so full of stench and hypocrisy that you momentarily forget the ugly way it was recorded. Discussing presidential candidates one by one, they discuss how much each should be given and how they are to be assisted, and the conversation is reported to even cover manipulating events so that they can buy an automobile company, part of a key industry in Korea. Supposedly there are also hints that they even had prosecutors on the take with rather large sums of cash. What you do not see is any hint that the jaebeol has social responsibilities or that a newspaper is supposed to have basic ethical standards. Everything is discussed and considered in the context of a "behind the scenes manipulation" of larger events.

Everyone under Heaven knows that during the 1997 presidential election the JoongAng Ilbo openly tried to make Lee Hoi Chang president. Later the JoongAng even admitted that it had engaged in biased reporting, after JoongAng chairman Hong Seok Hyun was arrested for tax evasion in the Bogwang Group case, which broke after the start of the government of Kim Dae Jung. That admission, however, was not so much an expression of true self-reflection or redemption. It was made in order to be able to argue that Hong's arrest was "political revenge."

No self-reflection means no lesson learned. You can see that in how Hong was suddenly chosen by president Roh Moo Hyun to be Korea's ambassador to the United States. It will be critical that the question of whether Hong was really the man responsible for delivery of illegal campaign contributions is answered, but equally important will be figuring out how it was he involved himself in making biased news reports. That is needed for the long-term growth of the Korean news media.

Even more serious is the part of the conversation where they discuss Samsung's acquisition of Kia Motors. You see the best possible example of the "triangular relationship of cooperation" and connections between big business, the media, and politicians as they discuss how Samsung will be going public with its plan to acquire Kia, the media will then create a favorable atmosphere, and members of the National Assembly will support the effort from behind the scenes. At the time there were indeed rumors that Samsung was manipulating things behind the scenes in the course of buying Kia, which for its part claimed that an orchestrated effort by Samsung had put it in a crisis situation only to have that claim written off and disregarded as the irresponsible comments of a failed executive. Now that there is an important lead in ascertaining the truth behind Samsung's maneuverings in the course of acquiring Kia, the whole truth must be uncovered. Not only because the Kia affair was the most decisive fuse in setting off the 1997 financial crisis, but because the truth is desperately needed in blocking the unseen manipulations of events on the parts of jaebeols that could secretly be going on now as well.

The seriousness of this case does not stop at the fact that Hong is the major shareholder in a key daily newspaper, but because he is Korea's ambassador to the US, and as such is responsible for representing Korea and overseeing relations. The international community might even be watching the current situation as it develops and secretly enjoying it. It is shameful to have at the center of an international embarrassment the country's ambassador to Washington, one of the highest positions any diplomat might ever hold.

And so it is annoying to have Hong say he "cannot remember because it was so long ago." Is this something that can be solved by saying you cannot remember and then keeping your mouth closed? We would hope to see Hong seriously agonize over what to do with himself, for his own sake and for Korea's sake.

Separate from the issue of Hong, the truth about the National Security Planning Agency's illegal eavesdropping activities must be cleared up as soon as possible. Statements from former members of that intelligence organization include the names of those involved. As expected, the men who were involved are quickly moving to deny any responsibility, saying they have no knowledge of what happened. It was always going to be too much to expect them to come out with the truth themselves. Since there will be limits to any inquiry by the organization now known as the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the only way left will be for the prosecution to commences on a swift and satisfactory investigation.

The Hankyoreh, 23 July 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]