Previous president Roh Moo Hyun who is famous as the ‘president for citizens’ and still keeps his popularity after his retirement due to his humble life in his hometown and to citizens’ dissatisfaction with the current government has been involved with bribe scandal in May. Sudden but exhaustive investigation regarding bribes during his governance covered major media and he was summoned by the prosecuton authority because of the money that his wife was supposed to have received. The internet is full of various opinions.
1.I felt that presidents whom I have seen were not OUR presidents. They have always looked at us from the top and treated us as tools for their own sake. I killed humans like they used a knife in order to cut a radish off and their back pockets were more buldged out than their oily stomachs. Was I the only one who felt delighted to look at those who were investigated after their governance. Even though they were justified fairly, they have comparatively nice lives as the excuse of treating them with respect as the representative of the country. Ok, I will accept it.
However, what is going on about Roh Moo Hyun? Who decides to arrest him and why are they so persistent? Did he really suck blood out of us as previous presidents did?
I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on up there. Maybe I judge Roh Moo Hyun with images that the media shows. However, I felt hope, belief, and trust with his speaking, his eyes, and his gestures. To me, this scandal seems ‘revenge’ or ‘witch hunting.’
I remember what he said before. He would choose his own path rather than listening to the old saying, ‘a stone of different shape will be hit by a hammer’ (envy will pursue merit as its shade). From the past, people who have hope can be just regarded as traitors in terms of the powers’ perspectives and their three generations will be demolished. But due to this reason, we have to stand up together. I can’t forget his speech because I felt sincerity.
I’m just an ordinary citizen from Daegu. In the Presidential Election last time, I chose Lee Hoe Chang instead of Roh and chose Lee Myung Bak this time. I don’t regret my choice. But Roh was the president who gave me reliance during his governance.
2.If he received the bribe, the punishment according to the results of the investigation should be right. If there is clear evidence that he received the bribes, he should receive the appropriate punishment even though he is the previous president. It is the right process that the constitutional state should follow. However, if someone asks me ‘is the process logical,’ I don’t have anything to say. If the prosecution authority acknowledged this event and investigated with justice, I would praise them. But this ‘Park Yeon Cha Gate’ seemed to target the specific person from the beginning. That’s why the prosecution authority is criticized. Therefore, I would like to ask the prosecution authority. I don’t know what intention they have behind this investigation. Anyway they started and then they should conduct investigation objectively without any external pressure. In addition, they need to tackle this issue with evidence. I don’t think that this Park Yeon Cha Gate should finish with only Roh Moo Hyun. If the current politicians are involved, they should investigate thoroughly. Then it is fair and justicable investigation and the prosecution authority will take off the dishonor of their action as the ‘planned investigation.
3.It looks pathetic that the current government is still holding the retired president in check.
4.It looks like a show for a coming election. They try to take Roh Moo Hyun down and exaggerate that North Korea would do some terrible actions. They must have thought that this would win the by-elections, but it led to antipathy in the end. Honestly speaking, the current government must have investigated thoroughly about Roh, but the result was not that serisou and he is more or less clean.
5.Roh had a hard time through this scandal, but it seems that his status became stronger. With such an exhaustive investigation, that was everything. It shows what a clean politician he is!
6.Whether it is Roh Moo Hyun or Lee Myung Bak, they should be punished if they are guilty. First we should legally go through Roh Moo Hyun, his wife, his son and daughter, and his relatives. If Lee Myng Bak is also illegally involved, he should be judged including his officials.
7.As the president for citizens, this scandal of Roh Moo Nyun disappointed citizens. As his supportors for 20 years, Park Yeon Cha and Jung Sang Moon were mentioned. But there is no evidence that he received the money from enterprises. And it seems that his wife received money letting her husband know. My wife sometimes give allowance to children or parents behind my back. Then I get to know later…
8.If he made mistakes, we should arrest him. In order to wipe off the dishonor as the ‘prosecution authority for politicians,’ the prosecution authority should have investigated the current authority as well as him.
This article was originally published on globalvoicesonline.org