Investigate the parents
Published: 27 Jul. 2007, 22:15
The goal of the alternative military service system, to enhance the nation’s competitive edge, has long been lost, and it is now full of corruption and illegalities.
There is not one part that isn’t corrupt in the procedure of getting and granting positions at designated companies as an alternative to military service.
There were a variety of forms of illegalities. To get or be granted posts at these companies, people gave and took bribes. People who were employed at the companies did not fulfill their duties, but rather studied for their own purposes, such as to pass the national bar exam or to get a doctorate degree.
The people who committed the corruption are children of the leaders of our society. Among 126 people involved in the scandal, most are the sons of former or incumbent government officials, businessmen, politicians or professors.
Leaders of a society have duties and obligations. Among them, military duties are the most important because they are related to the country’s very survival.
In that sense, it is truly regrettable that the so-called leaders in our society are involved in these cases. Government officials who used to serve in major posts in the presidential security service and the ministry of government administration and home affairs abused the alternative military service as well.
This clearly illustrates that leaders of our society have low moral standards.
The corruption in alternative military service can cause class conflicts because the service can be arranged by parents who have money or power or both. The investigation results prove that.
As a result, if it is widely believed that if some go to the army and go through hardship while others do nothing but have fun, our society will be in deep trouble. Thus, the draft-dodging corruption must be thoroughly investigated so that it never occurs again.
In that sense, the prosecution’s investigation has not yet finished. Of course, the investigation was quite significant.
But they did not investigate the parents who probably arranged these corrupt affairs, which are the core of the scandal.
The prosecutors must continue to carry out strict investigations of the parents of the people who abused the alternative military service system. If prosecutors do not investigate the parents, they evade the essence of the corruption.
In addition, authorities have to call the Military Manpower Administration to account for the negligence of their supervision.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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