What’s Truly Behind the Park Geun Hye - Choi Soon Sil Gate
Youjung Kwon
Kwon1996@gmail.com
With the phrase “impeachment” having dominated each and every Korean portal web site, and with president Park’s approval rate simultaneously plummeting to the lowest 4 % (Nov. 25th, Gallup International), Korean citizens have altogether turned against the government with candle lights held aloft. Only did we expect there be situations like this in the movies, but when it did happen in reality, we were left confused, defenseless, and enraged. The denouement would usually be the following: a charming young fellow, preferably a lawyer, comes along to challenge the corrupted and rectify the problems. However, it was different in reality. Literally everyone, notwithstanding religion, political stance, or any kind of rank or proximity that may have divided us, came together to protest, with students in the lead. Peaceful, organized, and tidy, citizens swarmed around city halls all over Korea every Friday, hoping for it to be over.
It all started on September, 2016 when Han KyuRe and TV ChoSun, two of the major presses in Korea, reported that Choi Soon Sil, a new face and a longtime friend of Park, had been inaugurated to both the MIR foundation and K Sports foundation. These special interest groups had received 7 million dollars (80 million won, Donga News) from the Federation of Korean Industries, and it was definitely not normal. The fishy situation earned the media’s attention in no time, outlining the daunting authoritative corruption to be exposed upon us. On October 19th, JTBC had reported the leak of Blue House’s classified documents to Choi, morphing a simple authoritative corruption into a nationally illicit misconduct. As a result of tireless investigation, JTBC obtained Choi’s PC tablet, which contained a total of 44 nationally classified documents Choi had prior access to, editing them as she wanted. Intensified allegations of Choi’s influence on state affairs pressured Park into conceding her faults in front of Korean citizens.
As bizarre and chaotic as it sounds, we are inclined to cloud the issue, misplacing our interpretations of the situation by criticizing Choi’s facial features and private life, in order to mock the group of people that have deceived us. However, we must stay perceptive during this time and observe what is truly behind the Park – Choi Gate. It would be oblivious to perceive the situation merely as a solitary and unprecedented case of the president being Rasputin-ized by a cultish group of Choi’s.
One of the main consequences of the Park - Choi Gate is the downfall of the authority and prestige of the president. It is true that Park had previously been undergoing illegal stem cell procedures for aesthetic purposes and had also sent Choi as deputy to prescribe IVNT ringer, tonic, vitamin injections and Viagra. As stem cells have been controversial for over 11 years for its ethics, stability, and utility, and as external use of injections outside the hospital is illegal, Park did not abide by the law. However, let alone these misdeeds, it does not end here. These faults have intensified by the sinking of the ferry Sewol accident of March 16th, 2014, as Park failed to take action for 7 hours while 295 high school students were drowning. Neither the National Security Administration and the secretary office, both of who keep track of and meet with the president at all times, confessed they do not know what she was doing in the hours. Incertitude, without any clarifications from her, accumulated upon one another, leading to accusations that she was pampering herself with stem cell injections and beauty care during the 7 hours. The president, who we gave the responsibility to protect us from fear, became the very person who generated it, making the position as president futile
Park - Choi Gate also completely shattered the trust we had for the government, doubtful as to wonder if the shards of credence could ever mend back. As mentioned earlier, the president’s approval rate has tumbled to its lowest of 4%, consisting of people in their 40s only. In other words, the 2030 generation, those who will and are currently steering the faith of Korea, constituting 45.6% (2016) of the electorate population, do not support the president. The fact that the president we had chosen was merely a figurehead, conspiring against her supporters, augmented our distrust.
In a broader vantage, Park - Choi Gate elicit the vulnerability of Korea’s enterprise system. With a few words, Yoora Chung, the daughter of Choi, could easily exploit the minister of Ministry of Culture, lawyers, and Ewha Women’s University’s president to acquire an illicit admission to the school. Further, Choi has succeeded in embezzling daunting amounts of money from internationally renowned corporations, including Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. This extreme squad has achieved, unsuspectedly, a carte-blanche authority over Korea. Exigent demands for social reform among government-corporate ties, elite class privileges, and unrestricted presidential authorities must be responded to.
The final, but certainly not the last problem the scandal engenders, is not solely restricted to Korea but engenders consecutive damage upon international relationships. It is undoubtedly problematic for the Blue House’s classified documents to have been leaked to an outsider. However, what puts Korea in more danger is what this act ensues: a collapse in international reputation and commerce reliability. In other words, Korea, a country with an 88.1% dependence on trade (GNI, Gross National Income to trade), is bound to be avoided as a trade partner. No country appreciates risky business.
As a result of these four major problems, the impeachment Bill of Park was proposed on December 3rd and was approved 6 days later with majority vote of the National Assembly (234/299). As a follow up, Park is suspended from exercising power until the impeachment is adjudicated by the Constitutional Court. If 6 out of the 9 judges approve in 60 days, Park is officially impeached, and the next president would be elected through an election. If not, Park is back in the game.
This bizarre incident of the president severely exploiting her supporters with seemingly omnipotent corps is an infringement on a whole new level. This has not only been a shameless undermining of the primary principle Korea had been constructed upon, but also a denial of the brief yet rich and vivid history and values of Korea. Despite Park’s faults, Park has, for a total of two minutes, apologized to the public of partial faults, but was unable to genuinely console the wounded public. Park, Choi, and the other few are the only people who know the truth.
By the time you have read this article, there will have been more disclosures, presumably surprising ones, of the truth. Although, as of now, we do not know the results of the impeachment, there is one thing we have learned through this long, long fight: the duty of youth is to challenge the corrupted. Every nation gets the government it deserves, and Korea now deserves a transparent, benevolent, and charismatic leader to pull us out of the swamps. So don’t boo. Vote!
