Mr. Lee’s nationally televised apology came two weeks after the arrest of his elder brother, Lee Sang-deuk, on bribery charges. Hours after the president bowed before television cameras Tuesday, two of his former aides were arrested on bribery charges, joining a growing list of Mr. Lee’s acquaintances who have been jailed on suspicion of corruption.
Mr. Lee, whose term ends in February, said in his address that he was so ashamed that he could hardly lift his face.
“The more I think about it, the more it crushes my heart,” he said. “But whom can I blame now? It’s all because of my negligence.
“I bow before the people in apology,” he said.
It was a humiliating moment for a leader who had once characterized his own government as “morally perfect.” Mr. Lee offered a similar apology in January, during his customary New Year’s speech, when it had become evident that he would be the latest in a series of South Korean presidents to be politically damaged by corruption scandals.
So far, a score of people considered close to Mr. Lee have been indicted or convicted on corruption charges. They include three relatives, four senior presidential aides and several former senior officials in the cabinet and government-run companies. Mr. Lee himself has not been implicated in any of the scandals.
The president’s brother, a former lawmaker, has been charged with accepting bribes from two bankers. Prosecutors said the bankers asked him to help prevent regulators from shutting down their banks. The bankers have been charged with embezzlement and bribery, and their banks’ operations have been suspended.
Analysts who have studied South Korea’s recurring corruption scandals have argued that political leaders’ intimates, like friends, relatives and people with school connections, have long influenced the appointment of top posts in police, prosecution and government intelligence agencies. Over the years, this has contributed to a climate of negligence where corruption is concerned, these analysts said.
South Korea President Apologizes for Scandals
By JAEYEON WOO
SEOUL—South Korean President Lee Myung-bak made a public apology for a string of corruption scandals that has seen some of his aides and relatives jailed.
"I bow my head and deeply apologize to the people for causing concerns," Mr. Lee said during a short speech shown live on national television Tuesday.
The apology came six weeks after his elder brother, Lee Sang-deuk, a former lawmaker, was arrested on suspicion of wielding undue influence in return for money. Prosecutors suspect the elder Mr. Lee received 600 million won, or about $522,000, from two now-defunct savings banks when he was in Parliament, in return for helping them avoid audits that might have caught the financial difficulties that brought them down.
The elder Mr. Lee hasn't been indicted. He denies wrongdoing, and says he received some political donations without strings attached. He retired from parliament last year when the allegations first surfaced, following an investigation into one of his aides.
"I started the job with a firm determination to do clean politics," President Lee said, "But disappointing things keep happening around me, and I am heartbroken and really ashamed."
A flurry of corruption scandals have marred Mr. Lee's presidency, which runs through the end of February. A dozen presidential aides have been found guilty or are currently under investigation for suspected corruption or other wrongdoing. Some have been jailed. The president has not been implicated.
In April, a relative of First Lady Kim Yoon-ok was given a two-year prison term and fined for accepting money in return for influence. A cousin of Ms. Kim was given a three-year prison term in 2009 for receiving kickbacks in return for influence-peddling in the ruling conservative party.
The investigation into the elder Mr. Lee is part of a wide-ranging probe into suspected bribery by the heads of some of the nation's smaller lenders, several of which have been shut down because of financial problems.
Politicians in Mr. Lee's ruling New Frontier Party, including the front-runner to replace Mr. Lee, Park Geun-hye, have increasingly distanced themselves from the president by criticizing his policies. With the presidential election five months away, Mr. Lee has become a lame duck. By law, South Korean presidents are restricted to a single five-year term.
Mr. Lee's public approval rating hit a new low of 18%, research firm Gallup Korea said Monday. Of the 1,518 respondents in the poll conducted July 16 to 20, 62% said Mr. Lee wasn't doing a good job. In late 2009, he had an approval rating of about 54%.
Write to Jaeyeon Woo at jae-yeon.woo@wsj.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443570904577546422236761092.html
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English.news.cn 2012-07-24 13:35:18 |
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South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's elder brother Lee Sang-deuk leaves the office of prosecutors in Seoul on July 11, 2012. Lee Sang-deuk was jailed early Wednesday morning over bribery charges, dealing a blow to the unpopular president whose term ends early next year. (Xinhua/Newsis) |
SEOUL, July 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak offered a public apology Tuesday for a series of corruption scandals implicating his brother and former aides, an embarrassment for the administration he once called "morally perfect."
"It is all my fault," the somber-faced Lee said in a brief, nationally televised speech. "I will readily accept any criticism. "
The public mea culpa came as his elder brother Lee Sang-deuk and a handful of his former aides are facing an array of corruption charges.
The imprisonment of the elder Lee, who is suspected of taking some 600 million won (529,200 U.S. dollars) from local savings banks, was the last straw for the president as he trudges towards the end of his five-year term.
Some of his key confidants, including former top communications regulator Choi See-joong and former vice knowledge economy minister Park Young-joon, are also behind the bars.
Critics say the scandals are an ironic juxtaposition to Lee's national drive for a "fair society" and claims that he is leading a "morally perfect" administration.
Before being elected to lead South Korea, Lee himself was mired in a financial scam that implicated his former colleague at an investment company called BBK.
His single five-year term ends early next year, with the presidential poll slated for December. Lee is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election.
Related:
S. Korean president's brother detained over bribery charges
SEOUL, July 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak' s elder brother Lee Sang-deuk was jailed early Wednesday morning over bribery charges, dealing a blow to the unpopular president whose term ends early next year.
The elder Lee, former six-term legislator of the ruling Saenuri Party, is suspected of taking some 600 million won (529,200 U.S. dollars) from local savings banks in return for helping the troubled banks avoid regulatory penalties. Full story
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-07/24/c_131735217.htm