hankyoreh

Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong and eight other chaebol chairmen appeared as witnesses on Dec. 6 before a National Assembly special parliamentary investigative committee. The hearing came 28 years after chaebol chairmen attended a National Assembly hearing in 1988 over contributions to the Ilhae Foundation, and under similar circumstances. Six of them were the offspring of the very same leaders called to the past hearings. It’s distressing to see the government-business collusion apple fall so close to the tree.

From the facts that have come to light so far, it doesn’t seem out of line to view President Park Geun-hye and the chaebol as accomplices. The chaebol chairmen met one on one with Park before making their contributions to the Mir and K-Sports Foundations, run by Choi Sun-sil. Before that, documents were passed to the Blue House containing “issues” for each group. Afterwards, the chaebol quickly moved to pay up. If this really were some well-intentioned state effort, there would have been no reason for the President and the chaebol to meet separately and in secret.

Yet those same chairmen have all claimed - as if reading from a script - that there was no reciprocity in the donations. Some have even played the victim. This probably means they can’t admit the payments were intended as bribes. There’s no choice now but to let the special prosecutor uncover all the facts. But this attitude from the chaebol, their inability to acknowledge or apologize for their misdeeds, will be remembered for a long time by the public alongside Park’s baffling apologies.

It’s hardly unexpected that many of the chaebol chairmen gave answers of “I don’t know” or “I can’t remember” to National Assembly lawmakers trying to get to the bottom of things. In addition to its funding for the two foundations, Samsung also gave billions of won for the equestrian training of Choi Sun-sil‘s daughter Jung Yu-ra. When asked who approved the payment, Lee Jae-yong replied that he still does not know. When asked whether he was requested to give Hyundai-Kia Motor advertising to a company under Choi’s effective ownership after his meeting with Park, Hyundai Motor chairman Chung Mong-koo said, “I can’t really recall.” We have to wonder whether such people have the skill they need to run chaebol representing South Korea.

Lee said he does not plan to be active with the Federation of Korean Industries or pay contributions anymore. He also indicated he would do away with the Future Strategy of Office, which is suspected of directing lobbying efforts in connection with the Samsung C&T/Cheil Industries merger. It’s a step in the right direction, but still far short of a radical change. We’re certain to see an outpouring of calls for chaebol reform going ahead. If they’re going to shed their old practices, Samsung and all the other chaebol corporations need to hurry up and engage in some deep and broad reflection.

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