(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on March 28)- Tale of Two Lists

Korea's Future Is Not Bright Without Trust, Honesty
Power, money and sex ??? these have moved humans like no other three words could
hope. And if the way people create, distribute and share them define and
characterize their community, the ``two lists" currently shaking up all of Korea
show how distrustful and dishonest this society is ??? particularly in its
establishment.
The first of the two is the so-called Park Yeon-cha list. Park is a businessman
with little schooling who was arrested for holding a drugs-and-sex party in the
early 1990s. But he somehow came back to be one of the biggest political
contributors to former President Roh Moo-hyun and his aides. His legal donations
were the proverbial tip of an iceberg, however.
Park has bribed everyone deemed to be of any help to him ??? if not right now
then in the future ??? including lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties,
bureaucrats and even police chiefs, prosecutors and judges. With connections in
all three branches of the government and major political parties, nothing could
stop him from raking in scores of billions of won in illegal investment gains.
Park distributed part of the windfall profits as ``fodder for future projects.''
Bribery and corruption is a universal phenomenon, to varying degrees. But what's
shocking with the ``Park list'' is not a single sector of this country's
governing machine was free from the temptation of ``black money'' provided by a
single source.
The other one, called the ``Jang Ja-yeon list," is about how those who have
reached some influential positions were anxious to enjoy and demonstrate their
hard-earned power by exploiting other humans ??? young women thirsty for money
and fame ??? as little more than their playthings. Politicians, businesspeople
and showbiz bigwigs, through the brokerage of entertainment agents, forced these
actresses to serve at their parties, provide some ``inappropriate''
entertainment, and have sex with them.
There were times in feudal Korea when women were little better than belongings to
men, but it seems their status has improved little in modern days. It is well
known that during the years of the military dictatorship between the 1960s and
'80s, female entertainers were all but ``government-provided waitresses'' for the
powerful, and even for some state guests. The ``Jang list'' has only confirmed a
long open secret in the entertainment industry, and that the only difference now
is what creates this inhumane situation has changed from raw, naked power to
money.
What's really astonishing was the reported inclusion of some media industry
figures, including newspaper publishers, Internet media owners and program
directors, on the list.
The burden of getting to the bottom of the bribery and sex scandals has once
again fallen on the shoulders of the prosecution, part of which is not completely
free from involvement of some sort on both lists. Competent prosecutors are
pledging investigations that will ``leave no corners as sanctuaries.'' They must
do so, but many observers of the scandals, including this page, can't help but be
more than a little skeptical about satisfactory results, with past experience as
a guide.
President Lee Myung-bak must order the most thorough investigations into all the
people involved, in governing or opposition camps, and in legislative,
administrative and judiciary branches, if for no other purpose than to avoid
similar situations four or five years from now.
Among the eventual scalps could be some media moguls or senior prosecutors, but
the investigators should be even more stern in handling them. A society has still
hope as long as two key sectors ??? the news media that uncovers irregularities
and the prosecution that punishes them ??? operate normally. Otherwise, it is
doomed to collapse, and Korea appears to be edging perilously close to such sorry
a state.
(END)