Former president mired in corruption

He was heralded as a president who was ‘different’ from others. One thing that was shared not only by his fervent supporters but also by many doubters, was he would show a possibility of new, clean politics, unseen by past governments that were marred by corruptions.

For all the beliefs, what is now being displayed shocks everyone.

Billions of wons, to say the least, were known to have been handed in black money by his long-standing friend Park Yeon-cha, a shoe-making businessman, to Roh’s wife. He argues his wife asked Mr. Park the money without his knowledge to pay back some ‘debts’, but many doubt his argument.

Roh’s entire family, his wife, son, and brother, are mired in alleged corruptions, but he continues saying he knows nothing about the secret bribing activities surrounding his family. How come does he not know? How come does he think people would believe that he didn’t know? Is he saying Park give tens billions of wons to the Roh family without expecting any favors back?

It is not new a former president is mired in bribery scandals after his term. But what makes this scandal more disappointing is that he was elected on platform of breaking away from an old, dirty, and corrupt politics of which Koreans were sick and tired.

He is turing out to be no better than a crooked politician he famously and confidently declared to get rid of from the Korean political scene.

How sad.