Kim Tae-joung Must Reveal the Truth

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Kim Tae-joung Must Reveal the Truth

Kim Tae-joung, the plaintiff from the Fur-Gate scandal, testified in court that, "I remember the person who passed the initial report to me, but I cannot reveal the person's identity." The situation is absurd and we can no longer hide our anger. The truth behind national scandals, which raised doubts all over the nation, will never be found, even through a court trial.

Kim Tae-joung has worked as a prosecutor for most of his career. He was once the Public Prosecutor General, as well as the minister of Justice. Considering the fact that he was once the most responsible person in the justice system, any attempt to conceal the truth regarding the scandal will never be justified.

Whether Kim is attempting to escape the charges against him or he is attempting to maintain some type of institutional or personal trust, his actions are inexcusable.

A section of his testimony, "I will endure all criticism," is not justifiable since he was legally required to reveal the truth at the trial.

We understand that it must be difficult for Kim to be forced to answer the questions of his former suboordinates. Moreover, Kim's choice not to testify against a close friend is certainly understandable. However, there can be no doubt, Fur-Gate is an extremely critical event. The independent counsel was introduced for the first time in Korean history in order to resolve this incident.

It is not too late for Kim Tae-joung to reveal the identity of the person who passed him the initial report. His claim of innocence looses its power of persuasion because he does not reveal the truth. He must reveal the truth to fulfill his last duty to our nation and history as the former head of the Ministry of Justice.


by Lee Suk-bong

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