Scandal in Korea
W hen South Korea elected Park Geun-hye as president in 2013, it was acknowledged that the generation that experienced the rapid economic development brought about by his father, assassinated dictator Park Chung-hee, delivered her narrow victory against rival Moo Jae-in of the Democratic United Party (51.6% to 48%). Her clarion call was “economic democratization” that is, challenging the chaebol, influential families that control the country’s economy.
Before she could complete her term, Park Geun-hye was impeached from office. The Constitutional Court will have to make a ruling within 180 days on whether to agree with the legislative decision. If the Court upholds the move, elections will likely be held within 60 days.
I scanned a rather long article titled “The History of a Scandal: How South Korea’s President Was Impeached” authored by Justin Fendos of The Diplomat. He said that “the biggest scandal in South Korean history almost never made it to light.” While it all had to do with a table computer of close confidante Choi Soonsil that contained files of major presidential speeches and other important national security and diplomatic documents, this tied up to the influence-peddling scandal where she (Choi) is alleged to have generated favors from chaebols to fund institutions controlled by her.
The investigative report looked into events years prior to the discovery of the incriminating tablet, that established the link of the Chois to the Park family. There were past misdeeds but these were suppressed. When the tablet was discovered, it took time for the authorities to reveal its contents and that only fired up the suspicion of the public of a cover-up. The free press and vigilant citizenry kept the pressure. The six weeks of street protests forced the National Assembly to impeach the president, 234 to 56, as her party mates abandoned her. The detailed article reads like a suspense thriller, but this time real people were involved.
The political turmoil in South Korea may not have registered much in the world news, with the domination of the US elections and its aftermath. Also Filipinos had more interesting dramas to follow in the hearings in the House of Representatives and the Philippine Senate, not to mention the negative attention the Philippines has obtained with extrajudicial killings.
But there are lessons to be learned. For instance, the importance of the role of the free press. Ferdinand Marcos put all critical media outlets away and controlled information. It took people in the likes of Primitivo Mijares and Jose Burgos of Malaya to expose the abuses of the regime. And so it remains today for media workers to keep the light of truth shining amidst the bullying and fake news. So too must the citizenry remain vigilant, if only to safeguard democracy.