Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

31 Convicted Businessmen to Be Given Amnesty
Thirty-one businessmen convicted of bribery, accounting fraud and other criminal charges will be given special amnesty on the occasion of Buddha's Birthday Sunday, the Ministry of Justice said Friday.... Kang, one of Roh's close aides, was convicted of evading 1.5 billion won ($1.5 million) in taxes and embezzling 5 billion won in company funds, which was discovered during the prosecution's investigation into the allegation that he gave money President Roh's campaign. The special amnesty is designed to restore the businessmen's honor and reinstate them so that they can concentrate on reviving the economy.
By Lee Jin-woo, Korea Times (May 13, 2005)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200505/kt2005051317292810160.htm

[Guri Guy]

I don't know what to say except that that scale of corruption sure isn't going to help make Korea the hub of Asia. That and, President Roh has got to go...

[Real Reality]

Presidential Pardons, Presidential Impunity
President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday granted a special amnesty to Kang Geum-won, his friend and patron, on the occasion of the Buddha's Birthday... But Kang was given a three-year prison term and four-year suspended sentence by the Supreme Court in November convicted of quite separate criminal charges of misappropriating W5 billion (US$5 million) of his company�s money and evading W1.5 billion in VAT and corporate tax. Now, if Kang was pardoned despite this,... Kang earned the nickname "private vice president" during the initial months of the Roh administration because he used to brag, "I assisted the president by unimaginable means," and, "I meet the chief executive whenever I want to."

The Constitution grants the president the right to pronounce amnesties for the sake of the national interest and reconciliation, based on rational principles. How does that square with granting a special amnesty to a friend, a tax dodger who stole his company's money?... If the president can't answer, let the justice minister step forward and explain. Former presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung did not even pardon their own imprisoned sons during their tenure.

When it was reported that Kang would be given a special amnesty, most people thought it couldn't be true.... Clearly there are no qualified officials in this administration.
Chosun Ilbo, Editorials/Columns (May 13, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200505/200505130033.html

[Guri Guy]

This country is very corrupt. Nothing more needs to be said. They are not even ashamed of it...

[darrin312]

[Derrek]

[fidel]

This pardon crap sickens me!

Why doesn't Kim average on the street get the backbone to stand up and say enough is enough.

Pardoning all these filthy criminals just because they have connections and are wealthy defies comprehension.

[Derrek]

I'd love to point fingers, but...


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1184118.stm



Clinton was as bad or worse.



Then again, I never voted for the guy.

[Guri Guy]

I agree 100%. What goes on in the US is just as bad and it makes me sick too. George W Bush has always had big oil connections and I am sure that that had a big role in influencing him to invade Iraq. Oil prices went up didn't they?

Corruption is a big problem around the world. Even in Canada. Hopefully we will punish the Liberals for this. I can only hope that Koreans have the same moral fortitude and say enough is enough. They deserve better from their yangban (I mean political leaders).

In the long run Korea will be much better off in the long run if they make a stand against corruption now.

Oh and thanks Derrek. Anyone that gives a d*mn about Korea and wishes for certain things to change is always branded with the mark of Cain on this forum. There can be no excuses or apologies for this level of corruption. Period.

[mack the knife]

And you guys DIDN'T EVEN mention the fact that EACH AND EVERY YEAR the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES pardons a TURKEY at THANKSGIVING.

The SHAME of it.

[Ya-ta Boy]

These wholesale pardons happen every year. Some years several hundred are pardoned. Apparantly it helps restore social harmony. It has a long tradition here.

It also has the effect of encouraging crime.

[Gollum]