Lee Myung-bak's political legacy at risk
Former President Lee Myung-bak is taken to the Seoul Eastern Detention Center by car, Friday, after a court approved an arrest warrant for Lee on charges of bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion and abuse of power. / Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
The arrest of former President Lee Myung-bak puts his political legacy at risk as he became the latest disgraced leader in a series of in corruption scandals after leaving office.
The prosecution’s investigation against Lee has centered on allegations of bribery and embezzlement, such as taking a total of 11 billion won ($10 million) from the spy agency and business groups as well as using a private company to establish slush funds worth 35 billion won.
Political analysts speculated Friday the probe may widen into lingering suspicions over construction, energy and other projects carried out during his five-year presidency from 2008 to 2013.
“It’s unlikely Lee will win at trial, considering the prosecution has made thorough preparations for months, collecting hard evidence and testimonies against him,” said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. “It will give momentum for the prosecution to dig into other allegations involving Lee if he is convicted over bribery and embezzlement.”
Shin referred to the Four Rivers Restoration Project, construction of Lotte World Tower and Lee’s “energy diplomacy.”
From 2008 to 2012, the Lee government carried out a 22-trillion-won project to clean up, mitigate seasonal floods as well as droughts and develop riverside resorts at the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Youngsan rivers.
It, however, caused dammed pools of environmental damage, deterioration of water quality, and frequent and repeated spread of green tides that are toxic to fish and other aquatic animals. Critics argued Lee made a hasty decision to carry out the project for illicit purposes.
Regarding Lotte World Tower, suspicion remains over why the Lee government approved Lotte to construct the 555-meter-tall building in southern Seoul despite concerns over its location near a military airbase and safety problems.
Lee was supportive of Lotte’s ambition to build Korea’s tallest building, while the military said it would pose a serious threat to aircraft flying in and out of the airbase, due to its close proximity to flight paths.
Lee was criticized for “energy diplomacy,” which resulted in accumulating losses after state-run companies made poor decisions and went on a buying spree of energy firms abroad.
Against this backdrop, the parties except for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) welcomed Lee’s arrest.
“We should continue to make efforts to root out irregularities to make the Republic of Korea more fair and objective based on law and principle,” ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae said.
Justice Party said Lee should live the rest of his life “repenting over his crimes,” while the Bareun Mirae Party said Lee’s arrest was “the right move irrespective of the situation.”
LKP said it finds the arrest “extremely miserable,” claiming the political revenge against former leaders should not be repeated.