(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Sept. 22)

Moon distracted
President should stay focused on jobs, national security

Former President Lee Myung-bak has emerged at the center of a political controversy for allegedly directing the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to conduct a smear campaign against opposition politicians, including Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, and suppress anti-government figures in various sectors during his 2009-2013 presidency.

The prosecution launched an investigation into the allegations Wednesday after an NIS task force uncovered documents that allegedly contain plans to undermine the mayor and his key policies. Earlier this week, Park filed a complaint with the prosecution accusing 11 people, including the former president and jailed former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon, of libel and abuse of authority. Won was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this month for interfering in the 2012 presidential election through covert cyber operations intended to influence public opinion.

It is important to get to the bottom of irregularities of previous administrations for the sake of establishing justice. This important effort to bring justice to the wrongdoers shouldn't distract the Moon Jae-in administration from its task of dealing with grave economic and national security challenges.

President Moon has ordered an intense self-reform of the NIS to separate it from partisan politics. After Moon took office, the NIS established a task force to look into political meddling under previous administrations, as well as a reform committee which requested the prosecution's investigation into allegations from Mayor Park and others who claim they suffered under the Lee administration's alleged suppression. The NIS reform committee also requested the prosecution's investigation of an alleged blacklist of cultural figures who were critical of the Lee administration, including actor Moon Sung-keun and comedian Kim Mi-hwa. Kim said that she is planning to sue the former president.

In addition to the prosecution and the NIS, the Cabinet also seems preoccupied with shaming the previous administrations. The Ministry of Unification's policy innovation committee held its first meeting Wednesday presided over by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon. The committee is composed of outside experts and is tasked with looking into the missteps of the previous conservative governments' North Korea policies, such as the closure of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

It is feared this may distract the government from focusing on the real issues. The people are reeling from an unprecedented unemployment crisis and the nation is divided over the government's response to North Korea's increasing military provocations.

If President Moon remains fixated on undoing the wrongs of the past conservative administrations, he could run the risk of being seen as operating a political vendetta. That will certainly sap his political capital, slow Moon's bigger agenda and compromise national unity.
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