South Korea's prime minister apologized to the public on Tuesday for her government's poor handling of the rampant video gambling across the nation destroying ordinary people's lives. "I apologize for the serious damage that the nationwide spread of speculative games has brought to the livelihood of low-income earners," Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook said.
Han made the apology just before presiding over a weekly Cabinet meeting.
The government is receiving harsh criticism for permitting the market release of speculative slot-machine games and allowing the use "cultural gift certificates" in arcades that were originally designed to boost the country's culture and tourism market.
In South Korea, gambling is strictly prohibited by law, but the developer and distributor of such games have bypassed the law by providing gift certificates to winners instead of cash.
There are mounting suspicions that businesses related to "Sea Story," the leader in the video-gambling market, had bribed government officials and political heavyweights in return for gaining business licenses and favors.
Critics say the government's inadequate policy decision, as admitted by President Roh Moo-hyun, caused a surge in the size of the country's gambling arcade market from 380 billion won (US$394 million) in 2002 to 26 trillion won in 2006. The culture ministry allowed gift certificates to be used in gambling arcades from 2002.
In the statement of apology, Han said she "deeply feels the government's responsibility for failing to deal with possibilities that businesses might misuse loopholes in state policies."
She urged prosecutors and state auditors to investigate the scandal thoroughly.
Early last week, prosecutors began a full-scale probe into the case, including suspicions that some close aides to Roh and ruling party lawmakers have shady links to businesses related to the gambling arcade games.
Up until now, prosecutors arrested the owners of two companies producing and distributing Sea Story on charges of manipulating the winning average and other illegalities.
They have also searched the state-run Korea Media Rating Board and the Korea Game Development & Promotion Institute, a civic-government organization that approved the game and business rights of 19 publishers of gift certificates for game parlors.
On Monday, the prosecution prohibited 28 people, including heads of the 19 ticket firms and the head of the institute, from leaving the country. The latest move brought to 50 the number of people under a travel ban because of their alleged involvement in the scandal.
State auditors said that they will begin a full probe next month, a month earlier than scheduled, to keep pace with the prosecution's investigation.
SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap)
Prime Minister apologizes over gambling scandal |
