Over-assuming Park's guilt
By Oh Young-jin
If Jesus showed up and dared the crowd of a million people in Gwanghwamun, "Whoever is without sin among you, let him (her) be the one to cast the first stone" at President Park Geun-hye, the chance is that Park would face one million stones being hurled in her direction.
It would be impossible to know who had thrown the first.
Then, if the people in the crowd were asked why they threw the stones, the likelihood is that they would say they did so because others did. Or they could come up with what each of them thinks is wrong with Park.
But what exactly has Park done wrong to put her up for impeachment or force her to ask for a formula by which she will step down before her term ends?
True, the entire nation is upset to find out that Park delegated her people-given mandate to her friend, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of Korea's Elmer Gantry, the charlatan minister from the eponymous novel by Sinclair Lewis, and thet Choi had influenced state affairs under Park's commission.
Choi edited Park's speeches in advance and her company included a former saber fencer who entertained wealthy women in Gangnam bars and a visual artist who had allegedly helped make his associates a culture minister and senior presidential aide.
These revelations have made the people feel enraged at the President, calling for her immediate ouster. No question, it is a gross dereliction of duty and flagrant case of incompetence.
Park has so far admitted that she had lowered her guard on Choi because she trusted her friend of 40 years. She has apologized.
But are these ― the colossal breach of trust and incompetence ― enough to persuade the Constitutional Court to back the impeachment of Park? The President is constitutionally protected from criminal prosecution, unless he or she is believed to be engaged in subversion. Impeachment is the only way to punish the incumbent head of state. It's natural to infer that unless there are strong grounds of a grave infraction on the part of the leader and evidence to substantiate it, the court would not support the impeachment case.
The court as part of society shares the sentiment of society and thereby is likely to be influenced by it. The nine judges have seen the indignation of millions of people participating in the candlelit protests against their leader. Would it be enough for them to give a guilty verdict to Park?
Regarding the grounds for impeachment, the Constitution is quite vague, as stipulated in its 1, Article 65, limiting the conditions to when the President violates the Constitution and laws in the execution of presidential business.
In the motion submitted Friday, the opposition parties and independent lawmakers cited, besides her Choi Soon-sil links, bribery regarding the "extortion" of chaebol's donations and her failure to save those who died in the Sewol ferry sinking.
The prosecutors cited Park as an accomplice when indicting Choi and her former aide, An Chong-bum, for extorting billions of won from chaebol for two foundations allegedly controlled by Choi on Park's behalf. But they were not even able to question her, making the bribery and extortion charges less tenable.
In her latest speech, Park claimed that she had engaged in soliciting donations from chaebol but strongly denied that she sought personal profit in doing so. As a matter of fact, she said that she had never sought personal gain throughout her political career.
Park called in a group of chaebol heads and met them one by one, but it has yet to be proven that she had pocketed any money or set up the foundations for her retirement life as reported.
Regarding the so-called missing seven hours after the Sewol tragedy, nothing has been substantiated about Park's wrongdoing, although speculation had it that she had a tryst with a paramour or underwent cosmetic treatment.
Much of the public anger directed at Park stems from allegations and speculation mixed with some sensational nuggets of truth. The total loss of public trust alone can be enough to force a leader to step down. But what if little of the allegations that angered us were proven true in the process of the forthcoming special prosecutor's investigation?
Would we bother to find the first stone thrower? Just think about it.
Oh Young-jin is The Korea Times' chief editorial writer. Contact foolsdie5@ktimes.com or foolsdie@gmail.com.
By Oh Young-jin
If Jesus showed up and dared the crowd of a million people in Gwanghwamun, "Whoever is without sin among you, let him (her) be the one to cast the first stone" at President Park Geun-hye, the chance is that Park would face one million stones being hurled in her direction.
It would be impossible to know who had thrown the first.
Then, if the people in the crowd were asked why they threw the stones, the likelihood is that they would say they did so because others did. Or they could come up with what each of them thinks is wrong with Park.
But what exactly has Park done wrong to put her up for impeachment or force her to ask for a formula by which she will step down before her term ends?
True, the entire nation is upset to find out that Park delegated her people-given mandate to her friend, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of Korea's Elmer Gantry, the charlatan minister from the eponymous novel by Sinclair Lewis, and thet Choi had influenced state affairs under Park's commission.
Choi edited Park's speeches in advance and her company included a former saber fencer who entertained wealthy women in Gangnam bars and a visual artist who had allegedly helped make his associates a culture minister and senior presidential aide.
These revelations have made the people feel enraged at the President, calling for her immediate ouster. No question, it is a gross dereliction of duty and flagrant case of incompetence.
Park has so far admitted that she had lowered her guard on Choi because she trusted her friend of 40 years. She has apologized.
But are these ― the colossal breach of trust and incompetence ― enough to persuade the Constitutional Court to back the impeachment of Park? The President is constitutionally protected from criminal prosecution, unless he or she is believed to be engaged in subversion. Impeachment is the only way to punish the incumbent head of state. It's natural to infer that unless there are strong grounds of a grave infraction on the part of the leader and evidence to substantiate it, the court would not support the impeachment case.
The court as part of society shares the sentiment of society and thereby is likely to be influenced by it. The nine judges have seen the indignation of millions of people participating in the candlelit protests against their leader. Would it be enough for them to give a guilty verdict to Park?
Regarding the grounds for impeachment, the Constitution is quite vague, as stipulated in its 1, Article 65, limiting the conditions to when the President violates the Constitution and laws in the execution of presidential business.
In the motion submitted Friday, the opposition parties and independent lawmakers cited, besides her Choi Soon-sil links, bribery regarding the "extortion" of chaebol's donations and her failure to save those who died in the Sewol ferry sinking.
The prosecutors cited Park as an accomplice when indicting Choi and her former aide, An Chong-bum, for extorting billions of won from chaebol for two foundations allegedly controlled by Choi on Park's behalf. But they were not even able to question her, making the bribery and extortion charges less tenable.
In her latest speech, Park claimed that she had engaged in soliciting donations from chaebol but strongly denied that she sought personal profit in doing so. As a matter of fact, she said that she had never sought personal gain throughout her political career.
Park called in a group of chaebol heads and met them one by one, but it has yet to be proven that she had pocketed any money or set up the foundations for her retirement life as reported.
Regarding the so-called missing seven hours after the Sewol tragedy, nothing has been substantiated about Park's wrongdoing, although speculation had it that she had a tryst with a paramour or underwent cosmetic treatment.
Much of the public anger directed at Park stems from allegations and speculation mixed with some sensational nuggets of truth. The total loss of public trust alone can be enough to force a leader to step down. But what if little of the allegations that angered us were proven true in the process of the forthcoming special prosecutor's investigation?
Would we bother to find the first stone thrower? Just think about it.
Oh Young-jin is The Korea Times' chief editorial writer. Contact foolsdie5@ktimes.com or foolsdie@gmail.com.
![[INTERVIEW] It is premature to revise ROK-US mutual defense treaty: veterans' group head](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8c502577285b479ea715ceccadaf8935.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Ahn Hyo-seop wanted to share dedicated love with 'A Time Called You'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/cb0026a0ef9e445fb850c720b307e5cd.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
