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"What does need talent for "Public servant"? ability or moral.

Chung Un-chan, an economics professor at Seoul National University (SNU) who was designated as the new prime minister last Thursday, expressed his desire to tender his resignation to the university, Monday, ahead of a parliamentary confirmation hearing.

Political observers say the life-long scholar's resignation will help push a pending bill on ``polifessors'' through the parliament. Polifessors, a combination of the words politics and professor, is a term used in Korea to describe those who try to realize their theories by gaining political power.

Though the National Assembly tabled it in August last year, the bill has yet to be deliberated. If passed, it would require professors to resign 60 days prior to running in elections and prevent them from being automatically reinstated after serving in officialdom.

The number of polifessors who have entered politics without resigning their professorships has reportedly reached 1,000 nationwide, including 20 lawmakers, and threatens the quality of tertiary education here, especially during campaigns.

Chung also expressed that he has long opposed the idea of polifessors and had to give up his professorship to focus on new challenges.``Even when I was (SNU) president, I used to advise those professors entering into politics to quit their teaching positions.'' Chung said.

Meanwhile, some opposition lawmakers criticized Chung, saying that he has not only forsaken his professorship but also his convictions. Rep. Song Young-gil of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) labeled Chung's joining President Lee Myung-bak's conservative administration as ``an act of selling his soul to the administration whose policies go against his beliefs and doctrines.''

Chung, however, refuted this, claiming that his views of caring for those who lag behind in competition and encouraging competitiveness coincide with the incumbent administration's main interests. President Lee named the Keynesian economist, a vocal critic of his economic policies, as the nation's No. 2 official in a Cabinet reshuffle Sept. 3. Political observers say that Lee's surprise move caught the opposition off guard.

Opposition parties, including the DP, that once considered Chung for its presidential candidate, are in a quandary over his confirmation hearing.

They vowed a thorough hearing and raised suspicions on his change of heart, but many of their key lawmakers are reluctant to criticize him, as many have been close friends.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr  

Prime Minister nominee Chung Un-chan faces multiple allegations that he plagiarized his own academic papers, evaded income tax and failed to fulfill his mandatory military service.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) is stepping up its criticism of Chung, signaling a tough National Assembly hearing for the former Seoul National University president scheduled for Sept. 21-22.

The party has formed a task force including four hawkish lawmakers to check the qualifications of Chung and other nominees for Cabinet ministers. Analysts said the allegations ― true or false ― may dampen Chung's image as a clean and clear-headed professor.

On the other hand, the negative news may help him draw more public interest, giving him an opportunity to become an influential politician. "Initial investigations show he has committed irregularities on many occasions. Plagiarism and tax evasion are heavy crimes," DP lawmaker Choi Jae-sung said Friday.

According to the opposition party, one of Chung's academic papers and its English version were published in different journals in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Chung did not notify the latter journal that the paper had been previously published. The veteran economist allegedly copied a paper published in 1998 for a different work in 2001. The DP also suspects the nominee dodged taxes.

While serving as an advisor to online bookstore Yes 24, Chung allegedly received some 98 million won ($79,000), but failed to report the income to the tax office. Besides dodging taxes, he violated the ethics code for public servants by working for the bookstore, Rep. Choi said.

"Under the law, all professors of Seoul National University are treated as public servants. Public servants are banned from working at private firms, but Chung failed to follow," the lawmaker charged. Whether Chung avoided serving his military duty is also in question.

As a university student, Chung was ordered in 1966 to serve a shorter term in the military than his ordinary colleagues because he was an only son and had no father.

However, he took a trip to the United States to study without fulfilling his term of duty and stayed there until he turned 31. At the time, those aged 31 or older couldn't enter the military, a rule later scrapped. The DP suspects that Chung delayed his return deliberately in a bid to avoid conscription.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

Question
1. What kind of first impression did "public servant" make on you?
2. What is more important talent morality or capacity ?
2. Except morality and capacity, what is the important talent in public servant?

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