I do not think it’s been mentioned here, but one of the chairmen of the Seoul City Council was arrested for bribery recently. I do not think that many would blame me for passing my glazed eyes over the scandal. However the story did give cause for coffee to erupt out of my nose this morning. First is former-chairman Kim Gui-Hwan’s Clintonian defense:
“I just gave them gifts in accordance with habitual practice,” Kim said. “I did not break election laws.”
I do not know what disturbs me more about that. You have the take, “Did I bribe? Depends on what your definition of a ‘bribe’ is.” What does it say about Korea’s fight against corruption when a senior politician cannot define a bribe. More disturbingly, what if Mr. Kim is right and dolling out over 30 million won in cash legal?
Moving on there is Kim Min-seok sniping away as any good opposition member:
Senior DP member Kim Min-seok said, “The council members were out of their mind to have a bribery party amid the current economic difficulty.”
So for the opposition Mr. Kim the problem is not the “bribery party”, but circumstances. Unbelievable.
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If these were bribes, they appear to be completely piddly bribes — a little over W1,000,000 apiece. Reports in other media have it as W35,000,000 for 32 “bribees”.
오십보백보
Sorry, but I had to say it. ^^
Korea actually now has fairly restrictive anti-corruption laws and regulations applicable to both electoral politics and govt operations (e.g., lobbying). In fact, the limits on e.g., the permissible cost of a meal that a bureaucrat can accept from a lobbyist wouldn’t get you a coffee and a sandwich at Starbucks. The problem, as ever in vortex, is in the gaps between the law and practice and enforcement. It’s great that they’ve gone after this mook, but until they actually enforce a serious penalty on the likes of the Hyundai Jungs or the Samsung Lees, not much is going to change. Korean mentality needs more than a couple of perp walks and photo ops of a corporate thug like Jung doing community service.
1. “bribees” Masterful as always, Brendon!
LOL
3. Ditto. My guess is Mr. Kim got his minute on the “runway” because some other slicky had an ax to grind with him.
Before I put any credence in any “corruption crackdown” in this land, I’d like to see some traffic law enforcement.
Most Korean pols and businessmen are in fact little more than slicky boys living large.
Long ago it was ascertained the REAL reason people wanted to become a member of the Seoul City Council — or any city council around the nation — was NOT to do anything useful for their city, but to serve as a stepping stone for higher office where the real big bucks could be made. Anyone remember when the Seoul City Council complained they were not making enough money?
I don’t think it was a bribe so much as an effort to “influence” the vote as Chairman would ensure his next step up the political ladder.
However, I can’t see a million won as a “bribe.” As someone mentioned before, a million won “bribe” is pocketchange by Seoul standards. If you want to bribe someone, it would have to be a lot more…
But this “bribery” charge gets weak as there are 106 council members and 100 are from the GNP. Only six belong to the Democratic and the Democratic Labor parties. Why didn’t he bribe 100 council members if he was going to “bribe” the council members?
Also with only 6 UDP and DLP council members out of 106 councilmen, I wonder who snitched to the police of the “bribes”? Give you one guess.
Anyway, this is petty politics…
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