[Editorial] Prosecution Must Do Its Best

More and more evidence is emerging that suggests former JoongAng Ilbo president Hong Seok Hyun served as the delivery channel for Samsung's illegal "lobbying." First it was revealed that he misappropriated W3 billion of the money he was supposed to deliver for Samsung, and now it has been discovered that all of the W6 billion Samsung gave to Grand National Party (GNP) presidential candidate Lee Hoi Chang was handed over near Hong's house. These developments confirm once again that the prosecution could have uncovered the details about the collusive relationship between government, business, and the media when it investigated the "sepung affair" and later tax evasion on the part of the Bogwang Group.

The record of the sepung investigation describes how Lee Hoi Chang's younger brother Lee Hoe Seong received a total of W6 billion over the course of four meetings "in front of the parking lot of an apartment in Apgujeongdong" that Hong lived in. There's no way the prosecution could have just missed what that was for not having known the significance of the location. In addition it goes against the basics of investigating, since prosecutors have uncovered who received the money while not trying to know from whom it came. They may think that they have been had by a Samsung strategy of making like a "lizard cuts off his own tail," but they still cannot avoid their responsibility for dereliction of duty.

For among other things also for the sake of washing away its dishonored past, the prosecution needs to make sure there is not the slightest bit of negligence in clarifying the truth. The investigation is about more than the precise amount of illegal money Samsung gave to members of the ruling and opposition parties or Hong's involvement. Prosecutors must make sure they leave nothing about whether Samsung chairman Lee Kun Hee was involved unanswered. They need to find the truth about Samsung's acquisition of Kia, another important part of the former Agency for National Security Planning's "X File," because it relates to the group's motivation for "lobbying" the politicians and since it must not be overlooked how the case was what started to throw the economy into ruin. We again call on the prosecution to do its best.

The Hankyoreh, 15 September 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]