ed Orchestra scandal

Allegations on Seoul Philharmonic music director Chung Myung-whun’s wrongdoing is now spreading to his family. His wife has been booked for a defamation ploy that forced the resignation of the Philharmonic’s former CEO.

It was right for Chung’s employer, Seoul City Hall, to hold its plan to re-sign Chung. Whether Chung was involved in his wife’s plot should also be determined. If Chung and his wife are found to have committed any wrongdoing, they should be subject to the same punishment as given to “ordinary” people for the crime.

Chung’s wife is suspected of having conspired with some orchestra employees to make up allegations that orchestra CEO Park Hyun-jung harassed them in order to drive out Park, who had been on clash course with her husband and was trying to get in the way of Chung’s new contract.

Chung and his wife are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty but just the fact that they are mired in this unsavory allegation is enough to question the soundness of their judgment.

What would have happened if Chung’s wife was linked to a similar fiasco with the Paris orchestra Chung had led for 14 years? Chung would have found it hard to hold his head up high and land other jobs in Europe.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, often regarded as key backer for the Chungs, should leave no room for questions as to Chung-related irregularities at the orchestra once and for all.

It shouldn’t be ruled out that the Philharmonic finds a new conductor, equipped with musical capacity and integrity befitting of the symbol of Korea’s top orchestra.

In fact, the orchestra should replace its stated goal of becoming a world-class ensemble to become a normal orchestra first – one that, above other things, does not bend rules to allow privileges for the music director and his family members.

The Philharmonic, funded by the Seoul city government, should strictly adhere to management regulations.

The orchestra’s dependence on Chung will only undermine orchestra’s growth potential. The Philharmonic’s board should start looking for candidates to replace Chung. At such hard economic times, there are surely more affordable choices than Chung, who has been criticized for being overpaid.