It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy:
Prosecutors will seek to question former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young Wednesday on charges that he slandered President-elect Lee Myung-bak during last year’s election.
Chung was the presidential candidate of the now-defunct United New Democratic Party, but suffered a crushing loss to Lee in the December 19 election.
Chung said Lee was deeply involved in a stock fraud scheme involving the investment firm BBK and his ex-business partner Kim Kyung-joon.
A prosecutor said Chung has ignored several summonses and subpoenaed him again, as the statute of limitations to probe election violations is approaching expiration. [KBS Global]
Just another sign that the Korean bureaucracy knows that there is a new boss in town.
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2:51 pm on February 18th, 2008 1
I’m no Comrade Chung fan, either, but I wish the South Koreans would change their expression laws. I couldn’t care less if a politician gets his/her feelings hurt, whether another pol or a voter did it. If a pol is going to go for fame, nasty comments are part of the territory. Let them tear each other apart, but change the part about suing each other, or private citizens suing one another, or public figures suing private citizens, so the fun can really begin.
1:52 am on February 19th, 2008 2
Rare agreement with Baltimoron / Infidel, I must admit.
The idea of criminal prosecution or even slander suits over political speech is pretty scary. The potential to use this as a tool of censorship is obvious, and as little regard as I have for Chung, we may be seeing an example of that sort of censorship here.
5:33 am on February 19th, 2008 3
I doubt anything will happen to Chung but I think he just has a few political enemies trying to take some shots at him. I would be very surprised if he was fined or jailed because of this.
8:52 am on February 19th, 2008 4
GI,
Isn’t this part of the problem? The bureaucracy / prosecution twists like a weather vane depending on who is in power, turning on the political enemies of the current prince. I think strict and impartial rule of law is a better system than using the judiciary to settle personal vendettas, despite the fact that its hard to think of a more deserving subject than Chung.
10:30 am on February 19th, 2008 5
I agree but Korea has always been “rule by law” instead of “rule of law” and I see nothing happening that will change this fact about Korea anytime soon.
9:54 pm on February 19th, 2008 6
Why is anyone wasting time with this? It’s typical Korean political horse manure. A prosecutor said Chung has ignored several summonses and subpoenaed him again, as the statute of limitations to probe election violations is approaching expiration.
Chung walks away unscathed and they wasted the taxpayers money for nothing — just playing politics. Both GNP and UNDP — as well as DLP and independents — are guilty of this garbage tactic.