Duty free licensing scam

면세점선정비리

It is shocking that the Korea Customs Service (KCS) fabricated the rankings of duty free store applicants by distorting data during the Park Geun-hye administration.

관세청이 박근혜 정부 시절 면세점 사업자 선정시 자료를 왜곡해 순위를 조작했다는것은충격적이다.

There had been many suspicions of illicit favors in the customs agency’s awarding of duty free licenses, and such suspicions have now been proven to be true.

그동안 면세점 사업자 선정과 관련해 많은 불법적인 특혜 의혹이 제기돼 왔는데,결국그의혹들이사실로확인된것이다.

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) said Tuesday the KCS arbitrarily changed the scoring system in July 2015 when it evaluated duty free store operators in Seoul.

감사원은관세청이 2015년 7월서울시내면세점사업자를심사하면서임의로평가체계를바꾼것으로확인됐다고화요일발표했다.

As a result, Hotel Lotte earned low marks and failed to receive a license. But Hanwha Group earned higher-than-normal marks and received a license to run a duty free store in Seoul.

그결과호텔롯데는낮은점수를받아선정에서 탈락했다. 하지만한화그룹은정상보다높은점수를얻어서울지역면세점면허를받았다.

Lotte, the country’s largest duty free operator, was unduly eliminated again from the subsequent November bidding the same year and handed over its license to Doosan Group.

국내최대의면세점운영자인롯데는같은해 11월면세점심사에서도부당하게탈락해두산그룹에면허를넘겼다.

The customs agency, under pressure from the presidential office, also increased the necessary number of operators by concocting data on the number of foreign tourists.

관세청은또한청와대의압력으로외국인관광객숫자데이터를조작해필요한면세점사업자수도늘렸다.

An outside study had suggested there would be room for only one operator, but the KCS announced in April last year that four more operators were neces-

sary.

외부용역결과매장1개만추가하면됐는데관세청은지난해4월추가로4개사업자가필요하다고발표했다.

The number of duty free operators in Seoul doubled from five at the end of 2014 to 10 this year. The consequences are horrible.

서울시내면세점은 2014년 말5개에서올해10곳으로 두배 늘어났고, 그결과는참담했다.

As Chinese tourists, who once accounted for 70 percent of sales, dipped after Seoul’s decision to deploy a U.S. missile defense battery here, most duty free shops are in the red.

한때매출의 70퍼센트를 차지하던중국관광객이한국의사드배치결정으로급감하면서대부분의면세점은적자를보고있는상태다.

Civil servants’ behavior revealed in the state auditor’s inspection of the customs office was shameful. But the irregularities laid bare this time may be the tip of the iceberg.

감사원의 관세청 감사로드러난 공무원들의 행태는 부끄러울 지경이다. 그러나이번에드러난비리는빙산의일각일수 있다.

Based on its audit, the BAI asked the prosecution to investigate KCS head Chun Hong-uk and other officials. Prosecutors should get to the bottom of the duty free license scandal to bring associated wrongdoings to light.

감사원은이번조사결과를바탕으로검찰에천홍욱관세청장을비롯한관련자들의수사를 요청했다. 검찰은면세점면허관련비리전반에대해철저히밝혀내야할것이다.

Now it’s obvious the new administration needs to overhaul our duty free system to prevent a recurrence of similar irregularities.

이제유사한비리의재발을막기위해문재인정부가현면세점선정제도의개선에나서야할당위성이명백해졌다.

The current scheme in which licenses must be renewed every five years through open bidding is no longer tenable.

현재 5년마다 특허를 원점에서 재검토해 사업자를 선정하는 방식은더이상 유용하지않다.

Allowing companies to open duty free shops autonomously is long overdue.

기업이자율적인판단으로시장참여여부를결정하도록하는방식의도입은이미오래전에이루어졌어야할일이다.

7월13일 (목) The Korea Times 사설

KEY WORDS

■ fabricate (거짓 정보를) 날조하다[조작하다] (= to invent a story, piece of information etc in order to deceive someone)

■ horrible 참담한 (= very bad)