By James R. Lint
Faculty Member, School of Business, American Military University
Contributor, In Homeland Security
As a recent analysis indicated on In Homeland Security, the South Korean government is in turmoil. Between 9,000 and 20,000 ordinary citizens took to the streets in Seoul against the sitting government on Saturday, October 29, according to Korean news source Chosun Ilbo. Riot police deployed 4,800 members to block demonstrators from going to the “Blue House,” the presidential palace in Korea.
South Koreans are calling for an investigation into the Choi Soon-sil scandal. The Korea Times reported that the “Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) announced Friday that it will temporarily suspend partisan negotiations for a special prosecutor to investigate the influence-peddling scandal revolving around President Park Geun-hye’s confidant Choi Soon-sil.” Choi is an unelected and undeclared personal advisor to President Park.
Some people are asking for President Park to be impeached or step down. Many politicians are requesting that those who support Choi should also resign from any active government positions.
Park’s Confidant May Have Profited from Inside Information
Choi is a longtime friend of President Park; they have ties dating back 40 years to when Choi and Park were both in their 20s. Choi has no history of employment or training in government operations. She also has no official standing or official position in the government.
Choi was unpaid in her advisory role to President Park. However, there are suspicions that she profited from insider information about government operations, such as key future land development areas. An even more critical issue is that Choi may have had access to classified national security information.
Choi Accused of Influence Peddling and Profit
According to The Korea Times, “Allegations against Choi include meddling in state affairs by having access to highly classified government information and peddling influence in the establishment and operation of the two foundations with the help of the President.” Choi started two foundations in 2015 and 2016, the MIR Foundation and the K-Sports Foundations. There are suspicions that Choi solicited money for these foundations from large South Korean businesses doing business with the Blue House and President.
Park Cancels Lunch to Focus on Scandal Management
Park canceled a scheduled luncheon with civic members of the Presidential Committee For Unification Preparation to focus on considering potential political solutions. This Committee is important in the Korean government due to the situation in North Korea.
Park depended heavily on Choi; Choi’s departure leaves Park in turmoil. This crisis could heavily impact future government operations.
This crisis has been the complete focus of Korean news and the South Korean nation. Ironically, it has not made the U.S. nightly world news at all in the last 10 days.
Presidential Scandal Could Affect Deployment of Anti-Missile System
Korean government officials worry that the current scandals will impact the planned deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). This anti-missile system will create a defensive umbrella over South Korea to protect its citizens from North Korean missiles. By its focus on internal scandals, the South Korean government may be slower to act on important issues that will impact all of South Korea.
Could Choi Have Accessed Confidential Information from US Sources?
The issue of President Park allowing an unauthorized person to access classified information from the Korean government is worrying. The issue for the U.S. government is whether or not Choi received U.S. classified information.
If Choi did see classified information from the U.S., this scandal could cause a downgrade in the perception in South Korea’s ability to securely handle U.S. classified information. Countries that receive releasable U.S. classified information are frequently reviewed by the Department of State and the Department of Defense.
The review ensures that those countries maintain the security of classified material released to that country, in accordance with U.S. national security agreements. If South Korea fails that national security review, the South Korean government will not be trusted with classified information in the future.
US Alliance with South Korea Possibly Impacted
South Korea’s loose control over classified information could impact international agreements, which could weaken the U.S.-Korea alliance. The fact that South Korea has its focus on internal scandals will likely slow negotiations on international actions such as THAAD’s defense equipment and other agreements impacting the 23,000 military service members stationed in Korea.
About the Author
James R. Lint recently retired as the (GG-15) civilian director for intelligence and security, G2, U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. He is an adjunct professor at AMU. Additionally, James started the Lint Center for National Security Studies, a nonprofit charity that recently awarded its 43rd scholarship for national security students and professionals. He has 38 years of experience in military intelligence within the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, contractor and civil service.
James was also elected as the 2015 national vice president for the Military Intelligence Corps Association. In 2016 he was accepted as a member of the Military Writers Guild. He has served in the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis and at the Department of Energy’s S&S Security Office. James had an active military career in the Marine Corps for seven years and also served 14 years in the Army. His military assignments include South Korea, Germany and Cuba in addition to numerous CONUS locations. James has authored a book published in 2013, “Leadership and Management Lessons Learned,” and a new book in 2016 “8 Eyes on Korea, A Travel Perspective of Seoul, Korea
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