Korea should establish rule of law firmly
Former President Park Geun-hye may face harsh punishment for her alleged involvement in a massive corruption case after a Seoul court sentenced her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil to 20 years in prison Tuesday.
The long-term prison sentence sent a strong message that the judiciary will not tolerate corruption involving anyone. It implies that it is imperative for the country to end corrupt ties between the power elite and family-run conglomerates. Without breaking such ties Korea can never ensure the rule of law ― the foundation of democracy.
The ruling against her came 450 days after she was arrested and indicted on 18 counts of corruption in November 2016. The unprecedented corruption scandal triggered a "Candlelight Revolution," in which tens of thousands _ even more than a million ― poured out into the streets in central Seoul on Saturdays from late 2016 till early 2017.
The mass candlelit protests were the clear expression of people's anger and frustration at the corrupt and incompetent government of former President Park. The scandal culminated in her impeachment and ouster from power last March. It paved the way for the election of then opposition leader Moon Jae-in who vowed to root out corruption in officialdom.
Against this backdrop, the decision by the Seoul Central District Court on Choi should help heal the trauma and pain of the people who were shocked by the graft case. It also should serve as an opportunity to restore the country's damaged constitutional values and rebuild a democracy.
The jail term for Choi is shorter than the 25 years the prosecution sought. But it is not necessarily seen as generous to the defendant. The court found Choi guilty of exploiting her ties with the former president to meddle in state affairs and extort money from conglomerates for personal gain. She was ordered to pay an 18 billion won ($16 million) fine, plus forfeiture of 7.29 billion won she received in bribes.
What is also notable is that the court handed down a 30-month prison sentence to Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin along with a 7 billion won fine. Shin was found guilty of providing money to sports foundations, which Choi took control of, in return for business favors regarding the group's duty free shop operations.
Now the judiciary has to address some problems with the process of trials against Choi and other related defendants, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. On Feb. 5, an appeals court commuted a lower court's five-year sentence on Lee to a suspended 30-month term, acknowledging that he paid 3.6 billion won in bribes to Choi. However, in the latest trial of Choi, the district court found that the bribes he gave to Choi amounted to 7.2 billion won.
Contradicting decisions by different courts may cause confusion and undercut President Moon's campaign against rampant corruption and the "accumulated evils" of Korea. We hope the country will succeed in the uphill battle, with zero tolerance on corrupt officials and businesspeople.
Former President Park Geun-hye may face harsh punishment for her alleged involvement in a massive corruption case after a Seoul court sentenced her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil to 20 years in prison Tuesday.
The long-term prison sentence sent a strong message that the judiciary will not tolerate corruption involving anyone. It implies that it is imperative for the country to end corrupt ties between the power elite and family-run conglomerates. Without breaking such ties Korea can never ensure the rule of law ― the foundation of democracy.
The ruling against her came 450 days after she was arrested and indicted on 18 counts of corruption in November 2016. The unprecedented corruption scandal triggered a "Candlelight Revolution," in which tens of thousands _ even more than a million ― poured out into the streets in central Seoul on Saturdays from late 2016 till early 2017.
The mass candlelit protests were the clear expression of people's anger and frustration at the corrupt and incompetent government of former President Park. The scandal culminated in her impeachment and ouster from power last March. It paved the way for the election of then opposition leader Moon Jae-in who vowed to root out corruption in officialdom.
Against this backdrop, the decision by the Seoul Central District Court on Choi should help heal the trauma and pain of the people who were shocked by the graft case. It also should serve as an opportunity to restore the country's damaged constitutional values and rebuild a democracy.
The jail term for Choi is shorter than the 25 years the prosecution sought. But it is not necessarily seen as generous to the defendant. The court found Choi guilty of exploiting her ties with the former president to meddle in state affairs and extort money from conglomerates for personal gain. She was ordered to pay an 18 billion won ($16 million) fine, plus forfeiture of 7.29 billion won she received in bribes.
What is also notable is that the court handed down a 30-month prison sentence to Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin along with a 7 billion won fine. Shin was found guilty of providing money to sports foundations, which Choi took control of, in return for business favors regarding the group's duty free shop operations.
Now the judiciary has to address some problems with the process of trials against Choi and other related defendants, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. On Feb. 5, an appeals court commuted a lower court's five-year sentence on Lee to a suspended 30-month term, acknowledging that he paid 3.6 billion won in bribes to Choi. However, in the latest trial of Choi, the district court found that the bribes he gave to Choi amounted to 7.2 billion won.
Contradicting decisions by different courts may cause confusion and undercut President Moon's campaign against rampant corruption and the "accumulated evils" of Korea. We hope the country will succeed in the uphill battle, with zero tolerance on corrupt officials and businesspeople.
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