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One interesting figure was included on a list of 47 people on the president¡¯s entourage for the inter-Korean summit during Oct. 2-4: Taekwang Industry president Park Yun-cha. All the other business figures in the entourage who are involved in manufacturing are chairmen or vice presidents of major business conglomerates or the heads of industry confederations. Only Park does not fit into any of these groups.
Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung, whose ministry is handling the entire operation, said Park had been the head of the Korean Footwear Industries Association three times and that this industry was an important part of light-industry projects with North Korea. If that is the case, then the incumbent head of the KFIA should go. The heads of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries and the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Societies are going. So why isn¡¯t the head of the KFIA going?
The reason Park is going to North Korea is probably because he is a patron of President Roh Moo-hyun. Before the 2002 presidential election, Park purchased land for President Roh¡¯s older brother, Roh Gun-pyeong, and gave the president¡¯s right-hand man, Ahn Hee-jung, around W700 million (US$1=W932). That¡¯s why he was sentenced to pay a fine. Park was also indicted without detention for using different names to provide W100 million in political contributions to 20 pro-Roh lawmakers. The owner of the land where President Roh is building his house is an executive of a company owned by Park. President Roh hired Park¡¯s daughter as a Cheong Wa Dae staffer and appointed Park¡¯s in-law as minister of patriots and veterans affairs even though he is a career tax official with no experience in veterans affairs. With such ties, how can the incumbent head of the KFIA have any hope of squeezing in?
But it appears the unification minister did not get the whole picture. President Roh has two patrons. The other is Kang Keum-won. Kang spent about as much money as Park on supporting Roh, and Kang served a stiffer sentence than Park of three years in prison plus four years probation. Kang had even told Roh he¡¯d make sure the leader would live comfortably after his term ends. Yet all Kang got in return was a presidential pardon. Kang owns Changshin Textile, which is part of another industry that is important in North Korea. Yet Kang is not going to North Korea: the head of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries is going instead. It¡¯s a mystery whether the unification minister messed up or whether Roh thought he¡¯d get criticized by the public for bringing both of his patrons.
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