Candidate's wife should come in for investigation
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has faced growing public outcries over his wife's alleged abuse of power. Such allegations are likely to have a negative impact on his campaign ahead of the March 9 election.
Last week, Lee and his wife Kim Hye-kyung apologized over the allegations that she had ordered public officials of the Gyeonggi provincial government to run personal errands for her while her husband was governor. Those errands reportedly included an official picking up prescription drugs on behalf of her and using a government credit card for her personal purchase of foods and goods.
If those allegations are verified, both Lee and Kim cannot avoid legal punishment. This could also raise questions about Lee's qualifications as a presidential candidate. The couple's apology was seen as just a lame excuse because it lacked sincerity. Many people cannot help but feel betrayed, given that Lee has repeatedly boasted of moral integrity and high ethical standards.
The power abuse allegations were first reported by SBS TV late last month. According to the report, a civil servant at the provincial office had been repeatedly ordered by his superior, identified by the surname Bae, to run personal errands for Kim. The official had allegedly purchased beef, sushi and other foods, and delivered them to Kim's home on multiple occasions. More shocking is that he paid using a personal credit card and later canceled many of the transactions to repay with the provincial office's credit card.
Using the office's credit cards for personal purposes is illegal. It may constitute a crime: embezzlement of taxpayer money. It is also illegal for Kim to let another person pick up her prescription drugs. Kim's reported power abuse should not be justified under any circumstances. It is dumbfounding that Lee and his wife have faced those allegations only weeks before the presidential election.
What's more disappointing is that the DPK had first denied the allegations in defense of its candidate, saying neither Lee nor his wife were involved in the case directly. Bae, who has known Lee and Kim for a long time, also attempted to protect them by saying that she sent the official on errands, not at Kim's orders but out of her own desire to curry favor with the couple.
Another problem is Lee's promise to request an audit by the province's inspector. However, his promise appears to be nothing but a ploy to skirt responsibility. The inspector he appointed is his close ally. It is hard to expect such an inspector to get to the bottom of the case.
Now law enforcement authorities should conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations as the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) lodged a complaint with the prosecution against Lee, Kim and Bae. But it is uncertain whether the prosecution will finish its investigation before the election ends. Prosecutors have already been criticized for delaying a probe into much more serious allegations that Lee might have been deeply involved in a massive corruption scandal related to a land development project in Seongnam City. We urge the agency to speed up its investigations so that voters can have accurate information about the DPK candidate.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has faced growing public outcries over his wife's alleged abuse of power. Such allegations are likely to have a negative impact on his campaign ahead of the March 9 election.
Last week, Lee and his wife Kim Hye-kyung apologized over the allegations that she had ordered public officials of the Gyeonggi provincial government to run personal errands for her while her husband was governor. Those errands reportedly included an official picking up prescription drugs on behalf of her and using a government credit card for her personal purchase of foods and goods.
If those allegations are verified, both Lee and Kim cannot avoid legal punishment. This could also raise questions about Lee's qualifications as a presidential candidate. The couple's apology was seen as just a lame excuse because it lacked sincerity. Many people cannot help but feel betrayed, given that Lee has repeatedly boasted of moral integrity and high ethical standards.
The power abuse allegations were first reported by SBS TV late last month. According to the report, a civil servant at the provincial office had been repeatedly ordered by his superior, identified by the surname Bae, to run personal errands for Kim. The official had allegedly purchased beef, sushi and other foods, and delivered them to Kim's home on multiple occasions. More shocking is that he paid using a personal credit card and later canceled many of the transactions to repay with the provincial office's credit card.
Using the office's credit cards for personal purposes is illegal. It may constitute a crime: embezzlement of taxpayer money. It is also illegal for Kim to let another person pick up her prescription drugs. Kim's reported power abuse should not be justified under any circumstances. It is dumbfounding that Lee and his wife have faced those allegations only weeks before the presidential election.
What's more disappointing is that the DPK had first denied the allegations in defense of its candidate, saying neither Lee nor his wife were involved in the case directly. Bae, who has known Lee and Kim for a long time, also attempted to protect them by saying that she sent the official on errands, not at Kim's orders but out of her own desire to curry favor with the couple.
Another problem is Lee's promise to request an audit by the province's inspector. However, his promise appears to be nothing but a ploy to skirt responsibility. The inspector he appointed is his close ally. It is hard to expect such an inspector to get to the bottom of the case.
Now law enforcement authorities should conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations as the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) lodged a complaint with the prosecution against Lee, Kim and Bae. But it is uncertain whether the prosecution will finish its investigation before the election ends. Prosecutors have already been criticized for delaying a probe into much more serious allegations that Lee might have been deeply involved in a massive corruption scandal related to a land development project in Seongnam City. We urge the agency to speed up its investigations so that voters can have accurate information about the DPK candidate.
