The "illegal eavesdropping" case involving National Assembly member Lee Jung Il increasingly looks like it was not simply something done by a few campaign staff and was instead an organized act of crime. Prosecutors say they have come across evidence that the president of a news organization in Lee's district was involved. It is a major election irregularity if a man with the influence and intelligence sources of a media company president was involved in bugging a candidate opposing someone he supported. Furthermore, Lee owns the company and the president is one of his relatives.
Based on what they have found, prosecutors are also investigating the whether the news organization was utilized in the eavesdropping activities. During the National Assembly election campaign, Lee was at one point 20 percent behind the Uri Party candidate because of the backlash about the impeachment of President Roh Moo Hyun, but then he won by more than 15 percent. That is reason to watch how the questions of whether the larger company was used in the effort.
It is as immoral as can be if a media outlet was eavesdropping to get information about a specific candidate or help another one win, as it was manipulating the opposing candidate and the voters. Lee needs to realize the seriousness of the issue at hand and cooperate with the investigation. He says it was staff members who were involved, that he had no knowledge of what happened. That is hard to believe now that the news company president, a close associate, is accused of involvement. Even if he really did not know what was going on the right thing to do would be to accept responsibility, if indeed the campaign was an illegal one that used a news organization.
It is shameful that the press, which should be keeping illegal campaigning in check, would be involved in the illegality. The company's president should respond to the prosecution's summons and reveal the truth. News companies are being used for private purposes like this because shares are owned in concentration. That is why there needs to be media reform. In addition, there needs to be measures introduced to fight illegal campaigning using high tech equipment to steal information, now that the illegal use of money in campaigns has become so difficult.
The Hankyoreh, 16 February 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Press Was Involved in Eavesdropping? |
