South Korea: The Ties That Bind

Before he took office in February, South Korean President Roh Tae Woo pledged to leave no "sanctuary" for wrongdoers in the government of his predecessor and mentor, Chun Doo Hwan. Roh is proving true to his word. Last week Chun's younger brother, Chun Kyung Hwan, 45, was arrested for tax evasion, influence peddling, and embezzling at least $8.7 million from the semiofficial Saemaul Undong movement, a national development organization he headed for seven years.

The arrest may backfire on Roh. Opposition politicians have seized on the scandal as evidence of how corruption went unpunished during the Chun years. The case has also reminded voters that as Home Minister from 1982 to 1983, Roh was responsible for overseeing Saemaul.