[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]Politicians need reform

After reading “Legislator: ‘I bribed voters’” in your January 28 issue of JoongAng Ilbo, I felt abruptly awakened to my senses. The case of Yoo Heung-soo, the four-term lawmaker that admitted his participation in voter bribery, is only the tip of the iceberg.
I suspect that all lawmakers of the National Assembly handed out money envelopes to voters during election season. It is probably only a question of who spent more money and who spent less.
I want to applaud Mr. Yoo’s courage for reflecting on his wrongs and telling the truth.
At this point, politicians and those who aspire to be politicians should make new resolutions and fear the gods. Beginning with this year’s election, we should abolish the dark side of our former politics, which included slandering, secretly undermining others and pursuing party interests at the cost of the nation.
We must “operate” on these diseases and leap into the global age of the 21st century.

by Yoon Seon-hong