Prime minister's wrong path

By Na Jeong-ju

The people’s quest for justice is being challenged again after Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn turned down the independent counsel’s request for a 30-day extension of its investigation into the presidential corruption scandal, Monday.

As a result, President Park Geun-hye managed to avoid the risk of being arrested at least in March, assuming that the Constitutional Court will deliver a verdict by March 13 and her chances of surviving impeachment are very low.

It is not too much to say that Hwang gave Park more time to cover up the truth by refusing to extend the counsel’s mandate. On the same day, Park denied committing any wrongdoings while she was in office in a statement read by one of her lawyers at the court’s final hearing.

Hwang’s choice was barely understandable because Park has misused her presidential immunity to deter the counsel team’s efforts to discover the truth. The team could not even question her in person largely because she refused to cooperate.

It was not the first time that his behavior benefited Park. Earlier, Hwang snubbed the team’s request to allow its search of the offices of Park’s scandal-ridden aides at Cheong Wa Dae.

He did all this in his capacity as acting president ― a position that he automatically assumed since Park was impeached by the National Assembly in December.

Hwang actually tendered his resignation in October when the corruption scandal was escalating and new allegations were surfacing day after day. However, luckily (or unluckily) for Hwang, Park’s nominee for prime minister, Kim Byung-joon, who had been boycotted by the opposition parties, had to quit days after Park’s impeachment.

Hwang ― whether he liked it or not ― had no choice but to withdraw his offer of resignation and return to his job to manage the leadership crisis stemming from Park’s absence during the impeachment trial.

In fact, opposition parties had the opportunity to pick a person for the job of prime minister through political bargaining with Park, but threw it away. They instead opted to press ahead with a quick impeachment vote without wasting time on a possible power-sharing deal.

In this context, it is coincidental that Hwang is serving as acting president now.

Ever since he undertook the job, opposition parties have repeatedly warned Hwang not to abuse his authority and stay politically neutral during the trial for Park.

But Hwang crossed the line.

By refusing to extend the probe, he opted to side with the prime suspect in the nation’s worst-ever corruption scandal in modern history, defying popular demand for a thorough investigation.

Polls showed 70 percent of the people backed an extension of the probe. That was because the people thought the independent counsel had difficulty in completing its investigation in the face of political maneuvering by the Park side.

However, Hwang took the wrong path.

This is ironic considering that he was formerly a prosecutor whose job is to bring criminals to justice.

In a sense, his protection of Park is also to defend himself. He could be the subject of an investigation considering that many former ministers were indicted or face indictment for their involvement in the scandal.

One of the reasons he cited for his decision not to extend the probe was deepening social unrest and conflict between the right and left.

However, the nation is now being thrown into chaos again.

Opposition parties threatened to impeach Hwang as well. They agreed to push for a bill to extend the counsel’s probe that was discontinued by Hwang. This has become a new seed of conflict between the rival parties.

The reason why Hwang’s stay in office is not proper is that we cannot be sure if he will be fair in overseeing the presidential election that may take place in May. He himself is considered a possible candidate for the ruling party. If he intends to run for the election, he will have to quit some time before the election. If not, he should not be in office because he cannot be a fair referee.