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.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS