Comedy-like tragedy

By Park Moo-jong

Just two years ago, I wrote a column, "Devil in disguise," about Han Myeong-sook, a former prime minister (2006-2007) under the late President Roh Moo-hyun, who was convicted of having accepted bribes while in office and began to serve her two-year jail term..

I wrote that "there was a bizarre scene totally ridiculing the nation's law and order in front of the Seoul Detention House. About 150 people, including several lawmakers [from the then opposition party] were holding a ceremony to see off a convict going to prison, shouting Han Myeong-sook is innocent.''

At that time, Han was holding a Bible and a bouquet of lilies, the symbolic flower of purity and wearing a black dress.

Two years later, a very similar scene reappeared early in the morning last Wednesday in front of Uijeongbu Prison, north of Seoul, where about 200 people, including some 20 leading lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (which was the largest opposition party two years ago), greeted the 73-year-old ex-convict.

She was leaving the prison after serving the sentence "painfully" as she said, welcomed by her supporters holding yellow balloons and bouquets of lilies.

The Supreme Court found her guilty of bribery in a trial by all 13 justices by upholding the Seoul High Court's verdict against the then 71-year-old lawmaker who thus automatically lost her parliamentary seat.

But she said before being put behind bars, "I am wearing black today because the judiciary justice (of this nation) died. I am innocent." She totally denied the nation's judiciary system and walked into the prison as if she were a "democracy fighter" against a dictatorial and police state.

The Republic of Korea where the ex-convict, the lawmakers and her supporters are living is a country governed by law.

Greeting Han's discharge, the ruling party claimed that she was falsely charged and convicted, condemning the nation's highest court's judgment as "deep-rooted judiciary evil" that should be eradicated for the reform of the judicial branch.

In particular, Rep. Choo Mi-ae, leader of the party, who was a judge herself ahead of her parliamentary career, led the party in denying the Supreme Court's ruling against Han.

Denying the unanimous decision by all 13 Supreme Court justices is something like denying the nation's judicial system.

Still vivid in the memory of many people is the remark of President Moon Jae-in, the then opposition leader: "We expected the judiciary to become the last bastion of protecting justice and human rights, but the expectation collapsed today."

It was surprising to hear the opposition leader, who also practiced law earlier, speaking like that, belittling the nation's top court's judgment.

On the contrary, Moon, Han and her supporters might have jubilantly shouted that " justice is alive in this country and the Supreme Court deserves to be the nation's highest court," if it ruled in her favor.

I wonder Mr. Moon still has the same thinking as head of state.

Their claim suggests that all 13 justices of this law-abiding Republic of Korea were corrupt enough to convict her unjustly, influenced by politics. If so, the highest court should be disbanded and the whole judicial system needs a complete overhaul, if the nation wants to remain a country governed by law.

It is to deny the nation's judicial system for them to make a political issue of such a criminal case in which the Supreme Court found her guilty based on evidence and she finished her sentence.

It is no wonder that most judges, prosecutors and attorneys are critical of such absurd claims by Han and her supporters.

One of our politicians' deep-rooted evils, irrespective of their political affiliation, is to judge the court according to their own political tastes. In other words, we have so many politicians who interpret law just as they please to for the sake of their own political interests.

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong's case proves this. Lee was found guilty of offering bribes to the disgraced ex-president Park and other charges, and sentenced to five years in jail in his trial last week.

As expected, the ruling party, through a statement by a spokesperson, said, "We respect the court's judgment, which is a cool decision of the judiciary to help build a righteous nation."

The opposition Liberty Korea Party welcomed the verdict outwardly, but expressed concern about the upcoming appeals, claiming that political and social pressure influenced the trial.

It is a tragedy in a modern democratic country with a separation of the three powers of administration, legislation and judicature for the political world, namely the legislature, to evaluate the court, depending on their own political interests.

It is a comedy that ex-convicts claim their innocence, denying the judicial system as soon as they are released after serving their prison terms.

If they think their convictions were unfair, they should have sought a retrial while in prison. They can do too, after finishing their term.

What Han should have done first was admit her misdeeds and ask the people to forgive her, thus helping people firmly believe that all South Koreans abide by the law.

Watching the clamorous welcoming ceremony for Han in front of the prison, I felt as if I saw a comedic tragedy. Where have all the authority of law and the independence of the judiciary gone.

Park Moo-jong is the senior Korea Times adviser. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English newspaper from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter for the daily since 1974. He can be reached at moojong@ktimes.com or emjei29@gmail.com.