Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Ruling party, government show double-standards over ethical issues
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) spokesman Choi In-ho announces the DPK's decision to field candidates in the 2021 mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan, at the National Assembly on Yeouido in Seoul, Nov. 2. The mayoral seats have remained vacant after former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon committed suicide and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don stepped down after sexual misconduct allegations came to light on both. / Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
“Naeronambul,” a homegrown phrase popularly used in politics to satirically refer to double-faced and hypocritical standards, is increasingly being associated with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and President Moon Jae-in's administration.
Meaning “If I do it, it's romance. If someone else does it, it's an affair,” the phrase was mainly linked to the power-wielding parties that were lenient toward their own misconduct and wrongdoing, but took a hard line toward similar actions by their political opponents.
Experts say the DPK is “emulating” those they used to criticize, after dominating in the April general election to gain a supermajority in the 300-seat 21st National Assembly.
The latest example arose Nov. 2 when the DPK decided to field mayoral candidates for Seoul and Busan in next year's by-elections.
The by-elections scheduled for April 7, 2021 involve the nation's two largest cities and therefore are seen as a major barometer of public opinion in the lead-up to the presidential election in March 2022.
But whether the DPK would participate in the by-elections had been uncertain until recently due to an internal party regulation, which prohibited it from fielding a candidate for the post of a municipal head or a legislator in a by-election which takes place due to a party member resigning over their own wrongdoing.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon committed suicide in July after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced. The city will elect a new mayor in a 2021 by-election. / Yonhap
Busan Mayor and ruling Democratic Party of Korea member Oh Keo-don stepped down in April over sexual misconduct allegations. The city will elect a new mayor in the 2021 by-election. / Yonhap
The posts have been vacant since former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon committed suicide in July and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don stepped down in April over respective sexual misconduct allegations. They were all DPK members.
The DPK then conducted a vote from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, asking party members whether they supported a revision of the party rules to enable it to field candidates in Seoul and Busan ― and 86.6 percent consented to the revision, according to DPK spokesman Rep. Choi In-ho.
Party Chairman Lee Nak-yon said, Nov. 3, he was well aware of controversy over the regulation change. “A large portion of party members concluded that it would be right to field candidates so voters can judge,” he said in a party meeting at the National Assembly.
“And this makes it more difficult for voters to put up with politicians,” said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.
Shin argued both the DPK and the Moon administration have been underlining “a clean and reformative image to draw a clear line with past politics.”
“To them, past politics involves the main opposition People Power Party (PPP),” Shin said, adding the PPP is “still haunted” by former President Park Geun-hye who was ousted in 2017 over unprecedented corruption scandals.
“It's ridiculous how the DPK slowly yet consistently is following in the footsteps of those whom it used to disparage,” he said.
The DPK has also been lenient on corruption allegations involving its members.
Rep. Yoon Mee-hyang has been embroiled in a string of allegations surrounding her decades-long activities supporting victims of wartime sex slavery.
A first-term lawmaker and former head of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, Yoon faces eight charges including fraud, embezzlement and breach of trust.
While the allegations were brought to light in May shortly after Yoon was elected as a proportional representative, she denied all the allegations and started her four-year term as a lawmaker. The DPK leadership was hesitant to take any action against her, and only suspended her party membership in September after the prosecution brought charges against her.
The DPK defended two of Moon's former and active justice ministers ― Cho Kuk and Choo Mi-ae ― who have both criticized for ethical lapses involving their children.
A short-lived justice minister before being replaced with Choo in January, Cho and his wife allegedly used their influence to produce certificates and other qualifications for their children to be admitted to top universities.
Cho was also embroiled in allegations of shady financial dealings among his relatives and their family businesses.
Choo was suspected of peddling influence for her son to receive special treatment in his military duty in the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) in 2017 when she was the DPK chairwoman. The son failed to return to his unit in time after a medical leave, and a senior officer suddenly granted an extension upon receiving a call from Choo's aide. It is disputed whether such an extension can be granted via a phone call for soldiers from ordinary families.
President Moon was criticized for keeping Chief of Staff Noh Young-min in August when he tendered his resignation after several senior presidential secretaries, including him, came under criticism for owning multiple homes.
In accordance with the government's real estate policy aimed at preventing speculative home buying to curb soaring property prices, Noh in December 2019 strongly advised presidential aides to sell properties except for their main residence.
However, by this summer eight officials at Cheong Wa Dae still owned more than one home in Seoul and nearby areas designated as speculative zones.
Two of the eight ― Kim Jo-won and Kim Geo-Sung ― resigned in an apparent refusal to sell their second, highly priced homes.
PPP floor leader Joo Ho-young called Moon “an uncommunicative leader” and described his administration as “tyrannical.”
“The government and the DPK are involved in many unimaginable ethical lapses and wrongdoings,” he said
Despite such controversies involving his aides and ruling bloc figures, the President, however, is receiving what experts say are steadfast approval ratings in his fourth year of a single, five-year presidency.
His rating remains in the 40 percent range, fueling speculation that Moon will be the nation's first president to finish his term without becoming a lame duck.
The analysts attributed Moon's popularity to the incompetence of the opposition parties, especially the PPP.
“With all those misconduct cases surrounding Moon's aides, the opposition is incapable of making the related issues resonate with the public,” said Park Sang-byung, a professor at Inha University. “The opposition is so incompetent that it makes Moon's state management appear better than it actually is, and even prominent.”