[Editorial] President’s “One-Tenth” Remark the Source of Trouble

Ultimately, President Roh Moo-hyun’s “one-tenth” remark is the source of trouble. The prosecution revealed that the GNP’s and the Roh camp’s illegal funding to district offices and regional branches over the nation amounted to 41 billion won and 4.25 billion won respectively in the presidential elections held the year before. The ratio between the two numbers is similar to 81.7 billion won and 9.8 billion won, the two camp’s total amount of received illegal funding. Coincidentally, the rates of both incomings and outgoings cut close to the criteria presented by President Roh.

This has caused speculation that the prosecution’s investigation results have been fixed to match President Roh’s criteria. The prosecution strongly denies these allegations. Of course, the prosecution would not have made up illegal funding that did not exist. However, there are few Koreans who believe that the prosecution is absolutely innocent. The findings that the four major conglomerates provided 72.2 billion won in illegal funding to the GNP camp, while providing none to Roh’s, is hard to believe.

The prosecution’s investigation seemed to concentrate on the GNP’s wrongdoings, and only reveal a little of the Roh camp’s misdeeds when the public became critical, all the while skillfully matching the “one-tenth” rate. If this pattern continues, no one will believe in the results that the prosecution produces. If the results of the final investigation are similar to previous results, it will cause trouble for the president and the prosecution.

This is why much attention is falling on what the chief of Samsung’s Restructuring Office, who was summoned yesterday, has to say. All conglomerates, including Samsung, must confess to the illicit funds it provided, not only to the GNP but also to Roh’s camp. That is the only way the corporations undergoing difficulties due to the campaign funding scandal will regain the consumers’ confidence.

More than anything, it is critical that the prosecution does not concern itself over the president’s “one-tenth” remark any further. If the prosecution continues to be influenced by it, the remark will continue to be a source of trouble.