[Editorial] Take a Modest Approach

Lee Myung-Jae, the new Prosecutor General, should begin his mission as a top prosecutor with a modest attitude. He should not be intoxicated with the favorable atmosphere that comes in and out of the Prosecution even though the opposition party regards the appointment positively. The comment on the appointment of prosecutor general is not the end but the beginning. Prosecutor Lee should begin by being mindful of the fact that he was appointed because he had left the Prosecutors Office 8 months ago and he is not from the Cholla province.

The current Prosecution is shaking with the impact of the former Prosecutor General`s resignation mid-term. The President’s inappropriate appointments originally caused the fundamental crisis in the Prosecution, but the Prosecution itself cannot avoid responsibility either. The Prosecution is still suspected to be `a maidservant of political authorities` even under this `government of the people` and for accommodating to the authorities by refusing to mete out exemplary punishment in the case of the Prosecutor General`s corrupt brother.

This may be the best chance for the Prosecution to remove the stigma if President Kim Dae-Jung appointed the new Prosecutor General according to the appointment criteria that he himself announced, seeking to reform the Prosecution. Mr. Lee has a mission to rebuild the Prosecution into a reliable center of justice, free of political influence. The local elections in June and the presidential election in December are unique opportunities for Mr. Lee to reform the Prosecution by establishing its neutrality.

Moreover, Mr. Lee should face the fact that the Special Prosecution`s investigation of the `Lee Yong-Ho Gate` revealed many gaps in the Prosecutions` investigation. A month after the Special Prosecutors Office was launched, it discovered that the Prosecutions` investigations hitherto has been a mass of falsehood. The Special Prosecution arrested the owner of Daeyang Mutual Saving`s and Finance Co., Kim Young-Jun, who played a central role in the `Lee Yong-Ho Gate,` and Shin Seung-Hwan, brother of the former Prosecutor General Shin Seung-Nam. The mission is ready at hand for Mr. Lee, who was once admired as the `best prosecutor today` - eradicating the numerous large-scale corruptions such as Lee Chol-Hee and Jang Young-Ja`s currency fraud. He should clear up the suspicions by encouraging the prosecutors to investigate every Gates thoroughly.

The first assignment for Mr. Lee is reforming the Prosecution. It is urgent to reform the Prosecution, which is suffering from wounds, and to restore its confidence. To accomplish the goal, it should guarantee a fair appointment, not regional connections or alumni networks, but by one`s character and ability. The judgment of the new Prosecutor General depends on how well he can complete these assignments.