Koreagate
Encyclopedia
"Koreagate" was an American
political scandal
in 1976 involving South Korean political figures seeking influence from 10 Democratic members of Congress. An immediate goal of the scandal seems to have been reversing President Richard Nixon
's decision to withdraw troops from South Korea. It involved the Korea Central Intelligence Agency
(KCIA) allegedly funneling bribes and favors through Korean businessman Tongsun Park in an attempt to gain favor and influence for South Korean objectives. Some 115 members of Congress were supposedly involved. Speculation also focused on the role of Unification Church
founder Sun Myung Moon
, former KCIA Director Kim Hyung Wook, and former South Korean Prime Minister Chung Il Kwon
.
(D-CA) were two of the main actors involved in the Koreagate scandal. Tongsun Park represented the Korean side of the secret agreement, while Richard Hanna was largely responsible for the American side of the deal. According to the agreement, both parties would share the commissions from American rice sales to South Korea and to use them to obtain favorable decisions for Seoul in the United States Congress. Hanna was also responsible for aiding Chung Il Kwon and Park in finding effective lobbying techniques, which he did by advising the pair to emulate Taiwan
ese and Israel
i models that had succeeded in the past. Park was also responsible for providing extra financial incentives to Hanna and other members of Congress, a task made easy by large rice sale commissions. Such financial incentives reportedly ranged from US$100,000 to $200,000 at a time per individual.
recognized the illegal aspects of Park's action in 1970 and informed the Korean embassy in Washington that such activities were problematic. Former United States Ambassador to Seoul William Porter tried to persuade President Park and Chung Il Kwon that Tongsun Park should have to return to South Korea, but to no avail. Later, William Porter described the United States response as "greatly pessimistic" because the United States government did not want to denounce South Korea when it was assisting war efforts in Vietnam
. Following the replacement of William Porter by Philip Habib
as ambassador to South Korea, punishment for Tongsun Park's unethical activities was increasingly pursued. Habib attempted to force Park to register as a lobbyist for the South Korean government, but was unsuccessful. In response to his failure, Habib instructed all embassy personnel in South Korea to cut ties with Park and warned several visiting congressmen about his illegal operations, only to be crossed by former Attorney General William Saxby who warned Park of these actions and his potential prosecution. Shortly after Porter and Habib's attempts to condemn Tongsun Park's actions, Habib accepted another job opportunity which forced him to work abroad for three years, which once again left Park's fate uncertain.
's election strategy. According to this interpretation, the Ford administration intended to neutralize the Democratic Party
's exploitation of Watergate and Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon
as issues by linking key Democratic congressmen to the Koreagate operations.
between the United States and South Korea, Tongsun Park ultimately came to the United States in April 1978 to testify publicly in a House hearing. During the testimony, Park admitted to disbursing cash to thirty members of Congress. In the end, only ten members of Congress were seriously implicated, of whom most decided to resign, while the statute of limitations expired for three. Park was granted full immunity for his testimony. Congressional members Edward Roybal (D-CA), Charles H. Wilson
(D-CA) and John J. McFall
(D-CA) were censured and reprimanded; Congressman Edward J. Patten
(D-NJ) was found not guilty, and Otto Passman
(D-LA) was indicted on bribery, conspiracy, illegal gratuities and tax evasion. He was tried in his home district in Monroe, Louisiana and was acquitted. Richard Hanna was convicted and sentenced to six to thirty months in prison. Though it was a political scandal at the time, Koreagate had surprisingly few and small long-term consequences.
officials in the oil-for-food conspiracy orchestrated by Saddam Hussein
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political scandal
Political scandal
A political scandal is a kind of political corruption that is exposed and becomes a scandal, in which politicians or government officials are accused of engaging in various illegal, corrupt, or unethical practices...
in 1976 involving South Korean political figures seeking influence from 10 Democratic members of Congress. An immediate goal of the scandal seems to have been reversing President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's decision to withdraw troops from South Korea. It involved the Korea Central Intelligence Agency
National Intelligence Service (South Korea)
The National Intelligence Service is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korea Central Intelligence Agency , during the rule of President Park Chung-hee's military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the...
(KCIA) allegedly funneling bribes and favors through Korean businessman Tongsun Park in an attempt to gain favor and influence for South Korean objectives. Some 115 members of Congress were supposedly involved. Speculation also focused on the role of Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
founder Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
, former KCIA Director Kim Hyung Wook, and former South Korean Prime Minister Chung Il Kwon
Chung Il Kwon
General Chung Il-kwon was a South Korean general during the Korean War. He led the South Korean forces for much of the war, including the important UN battle of Inchon in 1950. Later, he served as South Korea's Prime Minister and as the South Korean ambassador to the United States....
.
Parties involved
Tongsun Park and U.S. Congressman Richard T. HannaRichard T. Hanna
Richard Thomas Hanna was a U.S. Representative from California.Born in Kemmerer, Wyoming, Hanna graduated from Pasadena Junior College, Pasadena, California. He received his B.A. and LL.B. from the University of California, Los Angeles, California. He was a lawyer in private practice...
(D-CA) were two of the main actors involved in the Koreagate scandal. Tongsun Park represented the Korean side of the secret agreement, while Richard Hanna was largely responsible for the American side of the deal. According to the agreement, both parties would share the commissions from American rice sales to South Korea and to use them to obtain favorable decisions for Seoul in the United States Congress. Hanna was also responsible for aiding Chung Il Kwon and Park in finding effective lobbying techniques, which he did by advising the pair to emulate Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i models that had succeeded in the past. Park was also responsible for providing extra financial incentives to Hanna and other members of Congress, a task made easy by large rice sale commissions. Such financial incentives reportedly ranged from US$100,000 to $200,000 at a time per individual.
Objectives
The reasons behind the scandal involved political, social, and financial notions. Korean leaders, including Tongsun Park and President Park were angered with Nixon's decision to withdraw soldiers from South Korea and felt it was urgent to build support for preserving the remaining United States military presence. The Park government was also concerned with the approval of a substantial package of assistance for South Korea's military modernization programs. Another reason behind the scandal was to repress or counter increasing criticism of Park's illegitimate policies and human rights violations. According to many, the deceitfulness of Park's objectives would ultimately lead to his downfall.Consequences
The United States Department of StateUnited States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
recognized the illegal aspects of Park's action in 1970 and informed the Korean embassy in Washington that such activities were problematic. Former United States Ambassador to Seoul William Porter tried to persuade President Park and Chung Il Kwon that Tongsun Park should have to return to South Korea, but to no avail. Later, William Porter described the United States response as "greatly pessimistic" because the United States government did not want to denounce South Korea when it was assisting war efforts in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Following the replacement of William Porter by Philip Habib
Philip Habib
Philip Charles Habib was a Lebanese-American career diplomat known for work in Vietnam, South Korea and the Middle East...
as ambassador to South Korea, punishment for Tongsun Park's unethical activities was increasingly pursued. Habib attempted to force Park to register as a lobbyist for the South Korean government, but was unsuccessful. In response to his failure, Habib instructed all embassy personnel in South Korea to cut ties with Park and warned several visiting congressmen about his illegal operations, only to be crossed by former Attorney General William Saxby who warned Park of these actions and his potential prosecution. Shortly after Porter and Habib's attempts to condemn Tongsun Park's actions, Habib accepted another job opportunity which forced him to work abroad for three years, which once again left Park's fate uncertain.
Diplomatic relations
After Koreagate was publicized, political relations between the United States and South Korea became shaky at best. Animosity between the United States and South Korea was further aggravated by mutual misperceptions and procedural disagreements. The United States adopted a legalistic platform and expected South Korea to cooperate with any pending investigations. On the other hand, South Korean officials believed the story had been exaggerated, spun, or even concocted by American journalists. Furthermore, South Korea interpreted American action as arising from an anti-Park conspiracy. Political experts on both sides also suspected that the scandal was being framed in this manner to aid Gerald FordGerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
's election strategy. According to this interpretation, the Ford administration intended to neutralize the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
's exploitation of Watergate and Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
as issues by linking key Democratic congressmen to the Koreagate operations.
Results
Despite persistent disagreement about extraditionExtradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
between the United States and South Korea, Tongsun Park ultimately came to the United States in April 1978 to testify publicly in a House hearing. During the testimony, Park admitted to disbursing cash to thirty members of Congress. In the end, only ten members of Congress were seriously implicated, of whom most decided to resign, while the statute of limitations expired for three. Park was granted full immunity for his testimony. Congressional members Edward Roybal (D-CA), Charles H. Wilson
Charles H. Wilson
Charles Herbert Wilson was a California Democratic politician from the Los Angeles area. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1981.-Early life:...
(D-CA) and John J. McFall
John J. McFall
John Joseph McFall was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of California, rising to the position of House Majority Whip.-Early life and career:...
(D-CA) were censured and reprimanded; Congressman Edward J. Patten
Edward J. Patten
Edward James Patten was an American lawyer and politician. Patten, a Democrat, represented the now-redistricted New Jersey's 15th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for seventeen years, lasting from 1963 until 1980.-Background:Patten was born and attended public...
(D-NJ) was found not guilty, and Otto Passman
Otto Passman
Otto Ernest Passman was a conservative Democratic congressman from Monroe in northeastern Louisiana, who served from 1947 to 1977. He is primarily remembered for his detailed knowledge and mostly opposition to foreign aid...
(D-LA) was indicted on bribery, conspiracy, illegal gratuities and tax evasion. He was tried in his home district in Monroe, Louisiana and was acquitted. Richard Hanna was convicted and sentenced to six to thirty months in prison. Though it was a political scandal at the time, Koreagate had surprisingly few and small long-term consequences.
Later activity of Tongsun Park
In 2005 Park was accused of acting as an intermediary with corrupt United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
officials in the oil-for-food conspiracy orchestrated by Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
.