(EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on March 23)

Bribes before the fall

Choo Boo-kil, a former public affairs secretary for President Lee Myung-bak, is
under investigation for allegedly receiving more than 100 to 200 million won from
Park Yeon-cha, the chairman of Taekwang Industrial. Prosecutors believe Park gave
Choo the money as a bribe to avoid taxes. Choo admitted receiving the money although
he said it wasn???t a bribe.

Choo???s is the first bribery scandal to hit an official in President Lee
Myung-bak???s administration. The case is remarkable because it could herald the
beginning of the Lee administration???s proverbial loss of innocence.

The number of corruption cases often rises in any incumbent administration,
especially as the president moves into his second year of office. Those who helped
the president gain power in the presidential election might be tempted by the
prospect of a backhander.

There might well be public officials in search of promotion, entrepreneurs
interested in winning large-scale construction and engineering projects or anyone
being investigated by the National Tax Service willing to approach someone in
government with an attractive offer.

And as long as there are people with a say in political matters seeking to gain
financial reward as well as success in office, corruption will not go away.

The bribery case involving Chang Hak-ro, who was a secretary for former President
Kim Young-sam, is a prime example. The story broke ahead of general elections in
1996, when Chang received money from business people during the first year of the
Kim administration. At the time, Kim was concentrating all his energies on reform.

A host of scandals took place during the second and third years of the Kim Dae-jung
administration. Under the Roh Moo-hyun presidency, it has been alleged, the former
president???s brother, Roh Geon-pyeong and his closest aide, Lee Gang-cheol, had
been receiving money from the second year of the administration.

President Lee Myung-bak???s second year in office is an appropriate time to push
ahead with large-scale investment projects to boost the national economy, such as
maintenance of the country???s four major rivers and the construction of the
Seoul-Incheon canal. And there is a lot of interest in how corporations are going to
be restructured and how bank loans are going to be handed out.

So the Choo case is a timely reminder for the government to be on the lookout for
possible bribery. Lee faces the urgent necessity of running a special supervisory
institution to prevent such cases from occurring again. Choo???s case might be a
precious warning sign.