Park's brother pulled into imaginary power struggle

By Yi Whan-woo

President Park Geun-hye’s younger brother, Park Ji-man, gets into a car near his office in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

An interim announcement by the prosecution, Monday, on its investigation into the “memogate” scandal has left key questions unanswered. One thing for certain, however, is the lack of discipline shown by presidential aides at Cheong Wa Dae.

It remains unclear whether President Park Geun-hye’s former aide, Jeong Yun-hoe, exercised a behind-the-scenes influence with her blessing.

Also, why did a group of former aides who have close ties with the President’s younger brother, Park Ji-man, leak Cheong Wa Dae’s internal documents?

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office kept mum on whether Jeong peddled influence over the presidential secretaries even though he does not hold any title at the nation’s most powerful office.

It did say that Cho Eung-chon, a former secretary for civil service discipline to the President, ordered his former Cheong Wa Dae aide, Park Gwan-cheon, to make the confidential documents. The prosecution added that Cho later told him to leak the memoranda to the media, as well as Park Ji-man.

The prosecution has stalled on giving an explanation for their motive.

“People were eager to know if there was an inner circle in Cheong Wa Dae that was run by Jeong,” said Yoon Hee-woong, the head of Min Consulting, a public opinion research firm. “And the prosecution only has deepened people’s distrust toward the government over the recent scandal that rocked the country.”

“President Park should hold a press conference or find other ways to face the people and fulfill their curiosity,” he said.

He added that the scandal proved that the President has failed in restoring discipline at Cheong Wa Dae.

“The fact that Park Ji-man and the media obtained the internal memoranda shows the President is losing control over her aides.”

Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, agreed.

“It’s obvious that the President should focus on restoring order at Cheong Wa Dae in the future.”

Both Yoon and Shin agree the incident does not indicate that the President failed in her effort to prevent corruption among her family members, as was commonplace under her predecessors — Lee Myung-bak, the late Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung, and Kim Young-sam.

“The family members of Park’s predecessors exploited their positions to collect wealth illegally,” Shin said.

“However, this is not the case this time.

“In the case of Park Ji-man, he was involved in a power struggle with Jeong. Moreover, such rumors are not proven as of yet.”