ED Half-baked apology
Genuine apology needed to win back hearts of public
Rep. Song Young-gil, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has extended an apology for the controversy surrounding former Justice Minister Cho Kuk. During a press conference Wednesday Song said, “We apologize again for having failed to understand the pain suffered by the people and youth.”
“It was inappropriate (for Cho) to use his high status and connections to give his child opportunities to bolster her career experience. This inflicted frustration and disappointment on numerous young people who were denied access to such privileges.” This was the second time for a DPK leader to apologize for the “Cho Kuk” case following the first made by former DPK Chairman Lee Hae-chan in October, 2019.
According to a report compiled by the DPK's planning committee, the negative public sentiment toward the former justice minister was one of the main reasons behind the party's crushing defeat in the April 7 mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. The report noted that young voters in their 20s and 30s are very sensitive to the value of fairness, saying the Cho Kuk scandal vividly showed the hypocrisy and “naeronambul” (I am right and you are wrong) attitude prevalent among the ruling elite.
During the press conference, however, Song said Cho's daughter gaining admission into university “was not a violation of the law.” Yet his remarks were improper given the fact that Cho's wife, Chung Kyung-shim, a professor at Dongyang University, was taken into custody in December last year on seven charges, including the fabrication of an official document. Against this backdrop, Song took flak for only making a “half-hearted apology.”
Former minister Cho also triggered criticism recently for releasing a memoir titled, “Cho Kuk's Time,” in which he just excused and justified his misdeeds without showing any remorse for his actions. Song also said, “This is a time to think about the people's livelihood,” stressing the need to focus on pending issues such as real estate and vaccinations, and to move beyond the Cho Kuk controversy. Yet we believe Song's apology should not end as a mere onetime event for the ruling camp to cast off unfavorable views and woo support ahead of the upcoming presidential election slated for March next year .
Disappointingly, there are still many DPK lawmakers who claim Cho was a political scapegoat targeted by former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl to satisfy his presidential ambitions. Well aware of such views, Song called on the prosecution to embark on an investigation into Yoon's family members as it did with Cho.
This shows that the ruling party still has a long way to go before making a sincere apology over the Cho Kuk issue. This also runs counter to the DPK's pledge to be reborn and dedicate itself to improving the livelihood of working-class people. “Cho Kuk” is the symbol of social confusion and national division, deepening confrontation. Efforts are needed to get rid of “unfair” elements in society, and for this, the ruling elite should make a genuine apology and listen to the voices of the opposition.