Im Jong-seok, Cho Kuk, a Clearer Picture of New Jeogkpae (accumulated ills/deep rooted evil) despite their “National Assembly Excuses”
2019-1-2, Munhwa Ilbo
The National Assembly Steering Committee on the 31st [December 2018] ended up with [being a forum for] the explanation and excuse of the Blue House’s Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok (임종석) and the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk (조국). It is due to the lack of preparation and strategic failure of the Liberty Korea Party. The hearing should have started with a testimony of Kim Tae-woo (김태우), the former investigator, or Shin Jae-min (신재민), the former Level-5 civil servant at the MOEF [Ministry of Economy and Finance] or even an informal hearing with a “testimony” confronting [the Blue House officials]. If the schedule was too tight, then it would have been better to delay it to January. The Liberty Korea Party has nothing to say when called pathetic, because it also did not consider that many steering committee members were on overseas trip
Nevertheless, there were some noteworthy answers. “I have not been warned even once during the sixteen months I was working [there at the Blue House on loan from the Prosecutor’s office],” former investigator Kim said, referring to Senior Secretary Cho Kuk [saying he] gave an instruction to stop illegal surveillance activities. It is a refutation of the [Cho’s] effort to escape [his responsibility].
Chief of Staff Im labeled the MOEF’s intervention attempts regarding [replacing] KT & G’s [Korea Alcohol & Tobacco company] president as an ‘imagined issue.” It means [the Blue House, Im] considers it natural for the government to intervene in personnel matters of a private company where it has no stocks.
The Ministry of Environment made a document on its affiliated organization’s executives’ thoughts and activities [which direction they were leaning]. Cho called the document a reference material and [the process of making such document] a legal activity. The document pointed out individual weaknesses and it is clear that it is a partial execution of creating a “blacklist,” but [the Blue House, Cho, etc.] support and defend it [the document and the process]
In regards to the allegations that the South Korean Ambassador to Russia Woo Yoon-keun (우윤근) received 10 million won (~$8900), Im initially said that he had “never received a report,” and then changed it to “received it after the personnel selection was completed.”
If the suspicion of deliberate government bond issuance is true, it is “gukjeong nongdan” [monopoly of state affairs; this term was used to impeach Park Geun-hye on charges that her friend Choi Seo-won aka Choi Soon-sil had the “monopoly of state affairs.”].
As seen, there are plenty of new Jeokpae [accumulated ills/deep rooted evil; also a term the Moon administration uses often]. The current power that used to be the opposition party during the Choi Soon-sil incident portrayed whistleblowers as heroes and led in disclosing information
Although the power has changed, it is necessary to correct the abuse of the administration early on no matter which side is in power. Given the clear limitation of the Steering Committee, there is no reason to avoid the state investigation and the introduction of special prosecutor.
http://m.munhwa.com/mnews/view.html?no=2019010201073911000001
