[EDITORIALS]Don’t paralyze business

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[EDITORIALS]Don’t paralyze business

The Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors Office on Tuesday raided LG Home Shopping’s office and seized the company’s bookkeeping records. The prosecutors also plan to summon Koo Bon-moo, chairman of LG Group. The business executives of concerned companies are shocked at the news.
As we have emphasized repeatedly, the corrupt ties between politics and business should be broken. It is the goal for political reform as well as the first step toward clean politics. To that end, presidential campaign funding must be investigated thoroughly. Some businessmen will be summoned for investigation, but business activities should not suffer as a result. This is why the prosecutors must use prudence when they summon businessmen.
Politicians were the ones who prompted prosecutors to turn their focus to businesses. The Grand National Party, which had expressed willingness to take responsibility, did not cooperate with the prosecutors’ investigation, dragging their heels and making excuses. Two senior party officials responsible for financial affairs are nowhere to be found, and lawmakers who are asked to go before the prosecutors a second time refuse to respond. The Our Open Party, which declared it would make public all records related to campaign funding, has changed its tone, saying, “We will be counterattacked if we are the only one that opens up.” Under such circumstances, the prosecutors have no other choice but to pressure the businesses.
It is natural that the prosecutors raid and search for evidence and summon suspects. The investigators explain that there was enough reason to raid LG Home Shopping. But the investigation should not be lopsided for convenience’s sake, especially when it concerns the powerful, such as political parties, and the weaker ones, such as businesses.
The prosecution must be prudent when it summons the heads of business concerns and when it raids and searches their offices. Politicians must also cooperate with the investigation so that the damage to business activities can be minimized.
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