&#91EDITORIALS&#93Mall’s investors are hurting

The plight of people who lost their investment in the Goodmorning City shopping mall project, which has been reported by the media only recently, makes us feel gloomy. So far, the prosecution has uncovered that more than 3,000 people were victimized by the scandal, with losses reaching 350 billion won ($297 million). There is the man who lost all the money his father left him from his lifelong pension savings, and there is the woman who lost the money she had saved up from 15 years of hard work to open a small store. An elderly couple who worked for 20 years as street vendors lost all their savings, including the money they saved up for their son’s wedding.
What intensifies people’s outrage is the unending string of bribery charges. Rumors are rampant that Mr. Yoon contributed large amounts to politicians before last year’s party primaries and presidential election, and that the total spent to allegedly influence politicians, bureaucrats and bankers amounts to 20 billion won. The politicians, if the allegations are true, in effect took the savings of working people who shed their blood, sweat and tears. But the powerful people are busy blaming others or talking nobly about amending the Political Fund Act. Who is going to look after the people who lost their money?
It is disappointing to see the prosecution and the chairman of the ruling party, Chyung Dai-chul, continue to glower. The prosecution has sent out a third summons, and Mr. Chyung continues to ignore it, citing a busy schedule in the National Assembly and the party. The summons pleads for Mr. Chyung to hear the cries of despair of the working people who lost their savings because they applied for a spot in the mall that Goodmorning City promised.
What will be of some comfort to the investors is to have all the facts known as soon as possible and discern who is responsible. If Mr. Chyung wants to keep claiming innocence, what he can do is appear for questioning immediately. The Assembly should stop defending its members suspected of wrongdoing and cooperate in investigations. That is the first step to the political reform that both parties are so happy to talk about.