A former Supreme Court justice is now working at a corner shop run by his wife: “So what?” people in some advanced countries might ask.
But not in Korea, where ex-judges of even lower ranks can earn up to one million dollars a year working for large law firms, which exploit their personal connections with former colleagues to bend trial results.
The so-called “special treatment of ex-officials” is so widespread here that high offices have become like licenses on which to build a fortune.
So the local media’s loud coverage of Kim Neung-hwan, while natural given the journalists’ pursuit of something unusual, and laudable as offering a model for other officials, is a sad reminder of how Korea has become a society that worships money and little else.
Kim, who also served as the chief of the National Election Commission of Korea, has left many good examples of what a public official should be. He gave part of his salary to fund events for subordinates and even helped to finance a staff member’s court costs. As the top election manager, Kim didn’t hesitate to ferret out ruling Saenuri Party violations, earning the ire of the latter.
A man of high integrity and faith, Kim reportedly received an offer to be President Park Geun-hye’s first prime minister but turned it down, saying, “How can a former justice and ex-election manager work for the executive branch (that I once checked and oversaw)?”
That such a natural stance makes big news only indicates, yet again, how far this society has moved away from a normal one. A man of extreme humility, Kim, who kept his wife from running stores while he was in office, even rejected teaching jobs at universities, saying, “I don’t want to commit a sin on students with my poor ability.”
By any standards, Kim is a rare person. Park may try again to recruit him for her administration and he may, or may not, accept the offer, to set another example for other public officials. But we hope Park will leave him alone, as a guiding light for this ever-darkening society as a whole.
This is The Korea Times editorial for Monday, March, 11, 2013.
