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President apologizes for new scandal

"Regardless of the results from the investigations, I will ask for the people's renewed backing over the accumulated mistrust."

Roh Moo-hyun, South Korean president

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun apologized yesterday for the latest scandal to hit his government, saying he would seek renewed support from the public before next year's parliamentary election.

At an unscheduled appearance before reporters, Roh said he felt a shared responsibility for the involvement of a close confidante in a growing political funding scandal linked to the leading SK Group.

"The truth will be made clear after investigations, but I cannot pretend as if I don't know at all," the 57-year-old Roh said in televised comments.

"Regardless of the results from the investigations, I will ask for the people's renewed backing over the accumulated mistrust."

Roh did not say how he intended shoring up support or seeking a fresh public mandate, but suggested a referendum was unlikely.

Roh, whose only government post before he took office in February was a short spell as fisheries minister, has seen his reformist credentials tarnished by a number of scandals involving former aides and also watched his ratings plummet.

The latest row involves Choi Do-sul, an aide named by prosecutors as having received funds from the scandal-tainted SK Group before last December's presidential election.

Prosecutors say the group spread about US$10 million among political parties -- including the opposition, which yesterday advocated a referendum on Roh's rule.

"Choi Do-sul has been working for me for 20 years," Roh said. "If he turns out to be guilty, it will be my responsibility."

"I was thinking about a public vote, but I also have to think about national security," he said.

South Korea and its diplomatic allies are in a standoff with North Korea over the communist state's nuclear arms programs.

Roh, who is due to meet US President George W. Bush this month at a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Bangkok, also faces a tough decision on how to respond to Washington's request to contribute combat troops to Iraq.

The US, Bush and the Iraq war are all deeply unpopular among the young and left-leaning South Koreans who voted Roh into office by a small margin last year.

South Koreans have grown weary of incessant corruption scandals that have seen two former presidents and several sons of national leaders jailed.

There was fresh hand-wringing this week when the graft watchdog Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index said South Korea had fallen 10 places in the past year to rank 50th with Costa and Greece on a list of the least to most corrupt countries.

South Korea's president serves a single five-year term and is elected by the people rather than parliament, the single-chamber National Assembly.

There is a parliamentary election in April in which opposition parties are likely to retain a majority. Roh recently left his own party, which has split into two rival groups.
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