By Jung Min-ho
President Park Geun-hye is fueling public anger by delaying being questioned over the scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil and instead ordering a “thorough investigation” into corruption allegations involving other heavyweight politicians.
Amid loud cries of protest against her leadership over her own scandal, Park ordered Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong, Wednesday, to look thoroughly into a scandal involving Lee Young-bok, CEO of a Busan-based construction firm, who allegedly bribed politicians to facilitate approval for a development project in the city.
But the order frustrated many people following nationwide protests against corruption allegations against the President and her abject leadership failure.
“She is the last person to make such an order,” said Yoo Jong-hyuk, 28, who has participated in the rallies against Park over the past two weeks. “It is so obvious that she is trying to water down the Choi scandal.”
Lee has been arrested over the allegations that he pocketed over 57.6 billion won ($49 million) in corporate funds by overstating labor costs and construction expenses since 2007, and used the money to bribe politicians to issue a permit for the development project covering Haeundae LCT, a complex of luxury residences and hotels.
Since Park gave the order, politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties have bashed the President, saying she is trying to use the scandal as a means of removing her political enemies.
Ki Dong-min, floor spokesman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, said she has no authority or moral high ground to make such an order.
“As the suspect of a major corruption scandal, she should be investigated and punished,” he said. “It is her obvious gambit to cover her own crimes and to obfuscate her own scandal.”
Kim Moo-sung, former chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, also criticized Park, saying she is trying to pressure Busan-based lawmakers not to continue their attack on her leadership.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets in central Seoul again Saturday, following the largest anti-government protest in Korea in 30 years last week.
Yoo said he will go to Seoul Plaza again to demand Park’s resignation. And this time, he will go there with three high school students.
“One of them is a high school senior who is taking the annual college entrance exam at this moment,” he said. “After I told them about my experience in the rallies, they asked me to take them, too.”
According to rally organizers, about 500,000 people, half of that of last week, are expected to attend this week, but with more participation from high school seniors who finished their College Scholastic Ability Test, Thursday.
Since a nationwide protest erupted against the President over the influence-peddling scandal surrounding her friend Choi, students across the country have played their part in it.
They have used social media as an effective means of sharing ideas, planning activities and collecting money for protests. It appears that they do not need any help from adults.
The Middle and High School Student Revolution (MHSSR) and the 21st Century Youth Group Hope are among popular student online communities, which have their own student leaders.
On Facebook, the MHSSR has announced that students will gather at Bosingak, a pagoda with a large bell in central Seoul, at 3 p.m. Saturday before marching toward City Hall. “Please be there in your school uniform,” says the announcement.
“Let’s go there together to write history instead of just studying it,” Kim Min-seo, a member of the community said.
Another member, Kim Yi-tae, said, “There seem to be some people who are worried about getting hurt in the rally. But don’t worry. After protesting there over the past three weeks, I am still fine.”
Among many crimes allegedly committed by Choi, students were especially angry about special treatment given to her daughter, Chung Yoo-ra. “I believe the revelation broke what many trusted as a fair and transparent means to climb the social ladder in Korea,” Yoo Chang-ho, a 24-year-old college student, said.