When Kim Young-sam became South Korea’s first democratically elected civilian president in 1993, he vowed to cure the country of the “Korean disease”. He eventually became infected by the “disease” himself when his son was arrested on corruption and bribery charges.
Almost all of South Korea’s presidents have sooner or later been implicated in corruption-related scandals. To eradicate the "South Korean disease", the only possible cure is comprehensive constitutional reform. This must include implementing separation of powers and checks and balances, and direct election of the heads of the branches of government. Secondly, the President must serve as the ultimate guarantor of the Constitution, a duty which will not end with dismissal from office, the end of a term or retirement. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.
;){kind=link}