[Editorial] Punish People Who Refuse to Testify Before Assembly

The same old annual National Assembly review of government affairs, insipid and lacking key testimony, is being repeated this year as well. On Friday three men called in to testify before the Judiciary and Legislative Committee, Samsung chairman Lee Kun Hee, former National Intelligence Service director Cheon Yong Taek, and former Agency for National Security Planning director Kwon Yeong Hae, all failed to appear. Earlier, Hanwha group chairman Kim Seung Yeon refused to appear before the Finance and Economy Committee. The National Policy Committee had called in current and former Doosan chairmen Park Yong Seong and Park Yong O, former Daewoo chairman Kim Woo Choong and his wife Jeong Hui Ja, former Cheong Wa Dae economic secretary Lee Ki Ho, and former Korea Development Bank chairman Lee Keun Young, but they didn't show up either.

The reasons they give for not presenting themselves are hard to find convincing. Samsung's Lee Kun Hee is in United States supposedly for cancer diagnosis, but he is suspected of going to the US and staying there to avoid having to testify. Kwon Yeong Hae and Cheon Yong Taek say they are not in good physical health. Jaebeol tycoons such as Park Yong O and Kim Seung Yeon said they are part of ongoing legal proceedings (Park is being investigated and Kim is on trial), while Park Yong Seong says he is traveling overseas. Each reason sounds like nothing but an excuse to avoid testifying.

The law says that when someone called to testify fails to do so for no legitimate reason that person it to be punished with up to three years in prison or a fine of W10 million. Key figures called in to testify still fail to appear, however, and it's large part because the National Assembly has looked the other way when that happens. Of the 365 people who have refused to testify between the start of the 13th National Assembly and the end of last year, only 65 were charged, and only 24 among them were handed summary indictments or made to pay small fines.

Ruling and opposition Assembly members are increasing calls for stronger penalties for those who refuse to testify. Actually, all they have to do is enforce the law as it exists. People should be issued written orders to testify in accordance with legal procedures, and then they should be charged if they don't appear as ordered. It only further hurts the National Assembly's authority if it lets people get away with not testifying and then sort of lets that go by once its annual review of government affairs is over.

The Hankyoreh, 8 October 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]