Korean chaebol Hyundai secretly wired $500 million to Macao just before Kim Dae-joong, former Korean President, met Kim Jong-Il, North Korean dictator.  While Hyundai claims the money was for ensuring Hyundai business in North Korea for the next 30 years, evidences seem to show that it was a payoff for the meeting.

Funny thing is that Kim Jong Il received only $300 million.  $200 disappeared in route.  This is not surprising because, when you bribe someone in Korea, people in between each take a cut.  40% seems rather steep though.

Opposition party in Korea currently has the majority, so it voted to have a Special Prosecutor investigate.  Roh Moo-hyun, newly elected President, let the veto deadline pass today which means there will be a Special Prosecutor investigating the former President as well as the North Korean diplomatic channels.

While all this was going on, President Roh and his cabinet were trying to protect the North Koreans who too part in the payoff so they won't get embarassed.  Missing $200 million probably went to those folks.  As to why Kim Jong-Il is letting them live, I have no idea.  It is interesting that not even DMZ can stop corruption.

Young Prosecutors vs. President Roh

Moving on to more hopeful news, mid-level Korean prosecutors rebelled when the Minister of Legal Matters announced her plan to reorganize the Justice Department.  Both sides wanted to cleanup the Department, but the prosecutors wanted to do it themselves.  The rebellion itself was amazing, but President Roh's decision to debate the rebelling prosecutors on TV was shocking.  So people watched young prosecutors insult President Roh live on TV.

Nobody really won, but the debate changed Korean politic.  Also, everyone saw open display of distrust against senior prosecutors by both the President and the young prosecutors.  After the debate, most of senior prosecutors either resigned or were exiled to positions that encouraged them to resign.  I am hoping that replacement of the whole top tier of Justice Department will open a new war against corruption in Korea.  Keep on trucking, Roh!  Roll right over those corrupt bastards.