ed President’s brother

Lee ought to deal sternly with relatives’ corruption

During President Lee Myung-bak’s four years in office, few have aroused more suspicions and speculation than his brother, Rep. Lee Sang-deuk. The elder Lee’s influence was so strong and wide that words like ``big brother politics” and ``brother’s budget” went around political circles. So Rep. Lee’s decision Sunday not to seek another parliamentary term showed what had long been worried about has finally become reality.

Rep. Lee told reporters he hoped his ``sacrifice” would serve as a catalyst for reforming the ruling Grand National Party (GNP). Few Koreans will accept the political rhetoric at face value. Rather, they are wondering whether the six-term lawmaker had known about his aide’s receipts of 700 million won from businessmen or even taken part of the bribe.

We would like to trust the veteran politician’s denial of any awareness of or involvement in the bribery case. Yet it is also common sense these executives wouldn’t have given the huge sum to a parliamentary aide had his boss not been the older brother of the President.

Questions arise one after another. Has Rep. Lee’s aide exerted pressure on the financial regulators to prevent the shutdown of ailing savings banks? Where is the eventual destination of the money? Is this the only corruption case involving those around Rep. Lee or just the tip of the iceberg?

Investigators must do their utmost to uncover the truth. If there are any signs of prosecutorial hesitancy conscious of the chief executive’s position, President Lee should send an order for thorough probes. It will not be easy but nothing less would prevent his administration and the governing party from falling into total collapse. If the investigators come up with the foregone conclusion that it was just a secretary’s influence-peddling scandal ― as they said the cyber attacks on the election watchdog was committed ``singlehandedly” by an aide of another ruling party lawmaker ― it will be hard to calm popular enragement.

All this explains why Rep. Lee must positively deal with the investigation and take due responsibility depending on the results. If the 76-year-old politician really cares about GNP’s future and Korea’s political development, he should regard such voluntary cooperation as his last service for his brother, the party and the nation. Rep. Lee also ought to clarify other suspicions concerning his confidants, including former Vice Minister of Knowledge Economy Park Young-joon, with respect to the latter’s wining and dining at corporate expense and resources development projects abroad.

President Lee once said his administration was ``morally perfect,” a comment domestic netizens ranked at the top among the five ``most ludicrous remarks” in 2011.

The chief executive should recall his predecessor committed suicide because of corruption involving his family members, including his older brother. Considering the prosecution’s time-old practice of flip-flopping on former and incumbent leaders, Lee had better settle all suspected corruption issues while he is still in power.

Koreans are sick and tired of watching the tragic ends of former leaders.