[Editorial] Clarify the Rumor That Shin Kwang-Ok Received `100 Million Won`

The `Jin Seong-Hyun Gate` is a case that a young man in his twenties became a successful businessman, who made a great amount of money in a short term by receiving illegal loans amounting to more than 250 billion won from the merchant bank and the stock company. The former deputy-chairperson of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) was arrested for having received bribe from Jin. Although there was suspicion of political lobby, the prosecution did not seem to be interested in investigating it. The case was ambiguously buried.

A year later, the economy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) was arrested for having received a great amount of money. The former second chief of the NIS is suspected of having protected various lobby cases including the Jin`s case. This is why the public think that the prosecution had a `special reason` not to be interested in investigation. However, the suspicion does not stop here. It is unlikely that influential political leaders were not involved in a case in which executive officials of the NIS were involved. A female lawmaker of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) is already under the suspicion of bribery.

In the midst of this, another suspicion emerged. That is, deputy Justice Minister Shin Kwang-Ok received cash amounting to 100 million won when he was senior presidential secretary last August. Regardless of whether this is true or not, the suspicion itself is shocking. It is astonishing to imagine how far the `corruption link` is connected, if the senior presidential secretary is also connected following the executive officials of NIS and the lawmaker of the ruling party. If this is true, the crisis of morality, which the current regime will face, may be able to shake the whole country.

Deputy Justice Minister Shin is strongly denying the `100 million won worth of bribery`. Shin is saying that he "never saw Jin." Arguing that the suspicion is groundless, the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution say that they will take legal action against the press which reported it. We hope that vice Justice Minister Shin`s denial is true. We want to believe the statement of the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution. However, it is hard to think that the public sentiment would be the same. The economy director of the NIS received a huge amount of money in August 2000 when vice Justice Minister Shin allegedly received 100 million won. The former second chief of the NIS is also under suspicion of being involved in the case. Considering the timing of bribery and the situation in which a high ranking official of the NIS was involved, it will be difficult to clear the suspicion over the former senior presidential secretary.

Shin`s denial and the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution`s assertion that the suspicion is groundless are not enough. Instead of asserting the groundlessness of the case, the prosecution should clarify the true picture of the case in order for the people to believe. That is the only way.