Unpatriotic acts
Published: 12 Nov. 2007, 22:10
Jung Il-kwon had the temerity to fabricate documents and register himself as a patriot so that his children could receive education and employment benefits.
What’s more shocking is that Jung’s conduct might not be an isolated case. The Board of Audit and Inspection is extending its investigations to 87 former and current officials of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
The ministry’s purpose is to take care of soldiers and police who were killed or injured while serving their country. You’d think that an official working at such an organization would possess at least a modicum of patriotism and responsibility. But with some officials under investigation, this doesn’t appear to be the case.
Incredibly, Jung, who was responsible for evaluating the status of patriots and veterans, gained that status himself just two months after he left his position. The other four inspectors involved were all former ministry workers. It seems everybody is linked.
So deep is the level of corruption in that department that an outside audit had to deal with the misconduct. The wrongdoing was all around, but there wasn’t any apparatus in place to prevent it. Nobody said a word because all the people involved were desperate to protect their own interests.
This level of corruption is unforgivable and real patriots and veterans of this nation have suffered a grave insult. Those involved have trashed the country’s dignity, and it is now the duty of the Board of Audit and Inspection to stamp out such corruption. They must discover how Jung was able to carry out his scam, and if another case is uncovered, inflict severe punishment.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)