Fate of Ex-President Roh

By Choi Yearn-hong

The Korean prosecution may or may not indict former President Roh Moo-hyun for his suspicious or circumstantial involvement in a family corruption case. I am just a curious observer of this.

Those who are sympathetic to the ex-President want the prosecutor not to indict him. But sympathy is a kind of human compassion, so it must not factor in the corruption case.

His wife, his son and his nephew-in-law are involved in the $6-million bribe and corruption case. This is a known fact. All monetary transactions took place before his last days at Cheong Wa Dae.

Roh is a lawyer, so he made a statement on his Web site that ``he is not guilty, even if he is morally improper.'' I don't like this statement. His wife, his son and his niece's husband received $6 million from a businessman, Park Yon-cha.

That is very big money. However, they were not in government office, so legally they are not guilty. His wife abused her power as first lady, and easily and quickly collected $6 million without any feelings of guilt.

So should her husband be free from any crime? He may have committed the perfect crime to avoid indictment. He is a smart lawyer.

He issued a statement before he got into a 42-seat tour bus heading to Seoul's Supreme Prosecutors Office in April. ``This is something to be ashamed of,'' he said. Another statement said: ``I cannot face the people. Sorry!'' What does this mean? Are they just rhetorical statements?

First of all, $6 million is big money. An average Korean worker's pension is $200,000 after 25 to 30 years service.

Roh claimed to represent the interest of the common men and women in the street. Common men and women cannot earn $1 million in their lifetime. He or his wife thought $6 million was peanuts.

How? Was he, or his wife, a millionaire? I don't think so. His wife could make an excuse for $1 million for their son's graduate studies in the United States.

I can tell you my friend's story. He came to Indiana University with $70 in his pocket in May 1968. He worked as a dishwasher and other menial jobs to complete his graduate work.

The son of Roh and his wife could do the same. Why not? If not, he should not start his advanced education in the United States. Or he should return to Korea quickly. The younger Roh would earn more respect and admiration from the Korean and American people if he earned money from a dishwashing job.

I have seen the sons of Korean presidents who were totally corrupt. They acted as princes. I have never heard of any president's son who worked as my friend did in a kitchen at nights and in a factory during summer vacation.

Former President Kim Dae-jung's son got a college education at Emory University. I do not know whether or not he completed his college study.

I have never heard that he worked for his living. Some time ago, I read a newspaper article that said he lived in a ``mansion'' in California. I wish what I read was wrong or an exaggerated story. I have never understood this kind of father-son relationship.

Their fathers were presidents, but they were students. They are separate bodies in this world. But they share one thing in common: corrupt money ― for politics and for scholarships, respectively.

Why are there yellow balloons in Roh's hometown? Why are yellow balloons on the way to the Supreme Prosecutors Office? I don't understand the meaning of yellow ribbons or balloons.

The Roh family does not deserve any sympathy from anyone who knows that the president's wife asked for $6 million ― which she collected ― and said she does not know where the money went. Can you believe this kind of story?

Some good Christians want a pardon for Roh. A pardon is an acceptable idea, but it should be offered after he is sentenced to a prison term. I don't like to predict the verdict, because Roh seemingly committed the perfect crime to avoid prison. He is only guilty morally, not legally.

I am sympathetic to Park Yeon-cha who met the first lady's order, transmitted by a high-ranking presidential official. Park may have a lot of money. But such a wealth could be disposed of for the welfare of his employees and staff, and for social and humanitarian works.

Roh was credited with the new institutional setting of clean, inexpensive politics and campaigns. That was admirable. But his words and deeds did not match at all. He took a businessman's money as if it was his own, as his predecessors did.

Somehow, charges of corruption against former presidents must be stopped. This is a cancerous problem in Korean politics. Even though Roh was the third president since 1995 to face corruption charges, his predecessors were not free from corruption at all.

A couple of former presidents did not work at all in their lives other than as National Assemblymen, but one was seemingly and is still rich and affluent. I am sure that former presidents did not pay income tax for most of their lifetime, even though they accumulated an astronomical income from politics. This can be investigated some day in order to change Korean politics. It can be a revolution.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was concerned about living, after his retirement from the White House. He returned to his hometown in Georgia as a peanut farmer. He was thinking about writing and speaking engagements for income-generating purposes.

So he started to write poems as an amateur. He published a poetry book and promoted it in the nation's bookstores. He attracted crowds.

I hope Korean presidents can live with their income in the Blue House and can live their retirement life with their pension. I also hope presidents' sons and daughters live with their own resources. My new wishes would make Korean politics clean and admirable.

Former President Roh, I don't think he read faithfully about Abraham Lincoln or his writing. Lincoln was not the kind of man he imitated once. In a nice retirement home, he should start to read a good book on Lincoln. This is my last wish for him. We all make mistakes, but we should be honest. Honesty is lacking among Korean politicians and leaders in general.

Dr. Choi is a political scientist retired from a long teaching career in the United States and Korea. He can be reached at janechoi@cox.net.