Cheong Wa Dae's explanations fan public fury

By Jun Ji-hye

Public outrage over the corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil has shown no signs of slowing down since the case broke out in October.

Some 1 million angry citizens have been taking to the streets every Saturday, calling for Park's resignation. Even some members of the ruling Saenuri Party said either Park should voluntarily step down or the National Assembly should push for her impeachment.

But Park has appeared to continue to hold on to her power in defiance of the public calls for her resignation.

In line with this stance, the presidential office has clearly announced Park's stance on the prosecution's ongoing investigation and offered explanations for media reports and abounding rumors associated with the scandal.

But some of its explanations sound illogical and absurd, serving only to worsen the public anger against Park, opposition lawmakers and critics pointed out.

Prosecution probe

The prosecution announced the results of its interim investigation, Nov. 20, saying Park allegedly colluded with Choi, who is suspected of interfering in various state affairs and bullying local conglomerates into collaborating with two then-presidential aides.

In response to the announcement, Park's attorney, Yoo Yeong-ha, cast doubts over the fairness and credibility of the prosecutorial probe, claiming that the interim results were based on "imagination and conjectures."

The attorney then stressed he will not respond to any requests from the prosecution for direct questioning of the President and that he will, instead, prepare for an independent counsel probe, "which will be neutral."

Critics said the attorney's comment sounded ridiculous, as it meant that the President denies the prosecution, which takes orders from a prosecutor general appointed by the President.

"Park denies the prosecution, which is part of the administration led by herself," said Moon Jae-in, human rights lawyer-turned politician and former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). "This means the prosecutor general, justice minister and prime minister, who were appointed by the President and control the prosecution, should all resign from their posts."

Critics also denounced Yoo's claim that an independent counsel, who will be recommended by opposition parties, will be politically neutral, while the prosecution, which is controlled by the administration, was not.

Rep. Kim Kwan-young, deputy floor leader of the second largest opposition People's Party, said the comment signaled that the President could also reject to cooperate in an independent investigation, calling its neutrality into question. If this happens, opposition parties would have no tools to respond, he said.

Sewol ferry disaster

On Nov. 19, the presidential office posted explanations on its official website to what it claimed were 10 false reports and rumors, including one surrounding Park's whereabouts during the sinking of the Sewol ferry on April 16, 2014, which claimed 304 lives, mostly those of high school students on their school trip to Jeju Island.

Park has been embroiled in controversy, as she appeared at an emergency countermeasure headquarters only seven hours after the tragic accident. Owing to the lack of explanation about Park's whereabouts during those seven critical hours, rumors have abounded that "she might have undergone plastic surgery or other medical procedures on the day."

President again snubs request for questioning

2016-11-28 17:06 | National

In the first-ever explanation to the controversy, the presidential office said the during the ferry disaster, Park carried out her official duties mostly in a private office at her residence, and received about 30 briefings or issued directives related to the tragedy.

Then, it said "the real tragedy" of the day was the confusion caused by false media reports, citing some media reported, soon after the ferry began to sink, that "all of the people on board were saved."

Critics said this was an apparent bid by the presidential office to shift the responsibility on to the media, given that such false reports were made based on false notices issued by the government.

The maritime accident took place at about 8:50 a.m., and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education sent text messages to the parents of the students on board the ship at 11:06 a.m., saying all were saved. At 11:25 a.m., the office sent them a second message, saying the coast guard officially announced that all were saved.

The media published reports based on such messages, which later turned out to be false.

While critics say the media was not free from responsibility for the confusion at the early stage of the accident, they also say Cheong Wa Dae's explanation, which seems to distance itself from the errors of the educational office and the coast guard, was also improper.

President's health

When fresh allegations broke out earlier this month that Kim Sang-man, who was an advisory doctor to the President, sent her blood to a private hospital for testing under Choi's name in September 2013, presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk avoided giving a direct explanation, only saying the prosecution's investigation will find that out.

Then, the spokesman said as far as he knows, the President's health is categorized as a second-class state secret. The remark, although true, was ridiculed by the public and reminded them of Cheong Wa Dae's various announcements about Park's health conditions.

Whenever Park returned home from overseas trips, the presidential office proactively announced her health conditions, saying, for example, she was suffering from stomach cramps and a sore throat, and was exhausted because she worked too hard.

An official from the DPK said on condition of anonymity, "It seems like whether to categorize the President's health as a state secret depends on the situation."

Privacy as a woman

On Nov. 16, Park's legal representative demanded that the questioning of the President by the prosecution be delayed by a whole week, citing a "state affairs vacuum" and the President's "rights to privacy as a woman."

The remark also provoked public anger, as it implied that the head of state puts more importance on her privacy as a woman than on a national crisis.

The New York Times reported on Nov. 21 that "Park has never been considered a champion of women's rights, either as the President or as a legislator before that."

Citing a women's rights activist, the media outlet said gender inequality has actually worsened under Park, with sex crimes on the rise and a growing wealth gap taking a harder toll on women.

The Times continued, saying "Park has also built a muscular political reputation in what some analysts have called an attempt to dispel the notion that a female leader would be weak on security issues."

Observers say Park seems to want to call herself "a woman" only now that she was hit by the worst scandal in the nation's modern history.