Lee calls for stern punishment of those involved in savings bank corruption

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak instructed aides Monday to make sure to sternly punish those involved in illegal withdrawals of deposits from a soon-to-be-suspended savings bank, saying it is a case of ordinary people suffering from corruption by the influential and rich.
"Ordinary people, who do not have information and power, are suffering," Lee said at a meeting with senior presidential secretaries, according to spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung. "We have to thoroughly investigate those who received tips in advance and sternly punish those involved in the process."
Officials at the now-suspended Busan Savings Bank have been under investigation for allegedly tipping off their relatives and VIP customers about the institution's impending suspension so that they could withdraw their money and avoid damage from the suspension.
The corruption scandal came as Lee has focused on boosting his image as a leader who cares for ordinary people while trying to narrow the gap between the rich and poor, and build a "fair society." Lee has repeatedly ordered a thorough probe into the scandal, expressing frustration about the moral lapses at financial institutions.
jschang@yna.co.kr