Four self-styled tricksters swooped into Korean politics, putting a satirical spin on corruption, nepotism and the lavish lifestyle of the conservative elite and pushing the limits of freedom of expression on the Web. 

“Naneun Ggomsu (I am a petty-minded creep),” a podcast produced by four progressives in politics and journalism, took a swipe at the highest echelons in government and business. Its underlying message and scathing humor appealed to young audiences, and it was once crowned as the most downloaded iTunes podcast in the world. 

On Dec. 18, the day before the presidential election, the show aired its final episode, ending its turbulent 20 months which had seen Chung Bong-ju, one of the four, imprisoned late last year on conviction of spreading false information in 2007 regarding President Lee Myung-bak’s involvement in what came to be known as the “BBK incident.”

“Naggomsu is over now. The expiration date has passed,” Chung, 52, a former Democratic United Party lawmaker, said Tuesday upon being released after serving a one-year term. Naggomsu is the acronym of its Korean title.

The motley crew also included Kim Ou-joon, the 43-year-old head of Ddanzi Ilbo, a satirical newspaper; Kim Yong-min, a 38-year-old political commentator with a penchant for vulgarity; and Joo Jin-woo, a 39-year-old investigative journalist.

The program has a huge following with it spicing up boring politics and offering an outlet for young people’s frustration.

“The ‘Naggomsu phenomenon’ reflects the dearth of communication in Korean society that is filled with anxiety and rebelliousness,” said Lee Gi-hyung, a professor of media studies at Kyunghee University.

“It provides a catharsis, a sense of connection and exchange of awareness of ongoing problems to the masses that are fuming in agony and frustration over the face of incompetence and inadequacy of political parties and major media outlets.”

But it has also been criticized for often making groundless attacks on their foes and recklessly making fun of some of the gravest issues.

“Looking at this year’s presidential election, there was a lot of mishap,” former host Chung admitted.

In the run-up to the election, the crew minus Chung had consistently aired a series of allegations against the conservative candidate Park Geun-hye.

One such allegation accused Park of paying approximately 150 million won ($139,000) for a shamanistic ritual to resolve political controversies. Another stated that Park had cheated during one of the presidential debates by peeking at an iPad.

The Saenuri Party flatly denied the accusations and has sued the crew members for spreading false information.

The podcast also sparked controversy over media ethics and freedom of speech. The Internet-based media outlet has enjoyed leeway in expressing views unlikely to the mainstream broadcasters subject to rigorous control by the government.

Since the airing of the first episode in April 2011, the four pundits let time prove the veracity of their claims.

In February, Joo claimed that a prosecutor had received calls from a judge requesting special favors. When news broke that the prosecution was seeking an arrest warrant for Joo on charges of spreading false information, the prosecutor in question came forth and admitted that she had indeed received the call from a judge.

Some of the claims also had far-reaching repercussions beyond the chatter of the Internet. The accusation made by Joo in October 2011, that Cheong Wa Dae had engaged in crooked dealings in the purchase of President Lee’s post-retirement home in Naegok-dong, southern Seoul, prompted the National Assembly to appoint a special prosecution team to investigate the matter.

Another way the show distinguished itself was the way in which the crew members presented themselves as the butt of the joke. Kim, the satirical newspaper owner, was often referred to by his colleagues as “chairman,” as though he were the owner of a Fortune 500 company.

Kim, the political pundit, was often mocked for his heavyset frame. Chung, the liberal former lawmaker, took upon calling himself “the future power elite.” Joo, the investigative journalist, was described as prone to blushing when showered with attention by older women.

From the beginning, the show was directed against President Lee and his “bulldozer” style of leadership that reminded many on the left of the successive authoritarian regimes of the ‘70s and ‘80s. They took on the habit of calling the President “gak-ha,” the Korean word meaning “your highness” that is a relic from the authoritarian past.

After raising allegations of corruption and backroom deals by President Lee and other members in his party, the men would quickly add, in unison, that “of course, gak-ha is not the kind of person who would do such things.”

While the atmosphere was rowdy, much like college boys on a Friday night drinking spree, and filled with raucous laughter more befitting a comedy club, the nature of the allegations raised was deadly serious.

From President Lee’s alleged ties to BBK, an investment company that was accused of manipulating stock prices to make illegal gains, to the accusation that Na Kyung-won, the Grand National Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor in 2011, had spent over 100 million won ($93,000) on skin care, the four men’s satirical whip came with sharp teeth.

In the image-driven world of the Internet, the audio-only podcasts became sensational hits. The number of downloads for each episode averaged 2 million, with the number of listens averaging 6 million, making it the most popular podcast on iTunes. Student associations and professors at Harvard, Columbia, and other U.S. universities invited the crew to speak at their campuses.

The show’s soaring popularity prompted the head of the GNP at the time, Hong Jun-pyo, to participate in one of the recordings. Progressive candidates for Seoul mayor, including the incumbent mayor Park Won-soon, held joint debate sessions.

In its last episode, the crew continued its spate of attacks targeting the Saenuri Party and its presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, accusing the party of meddling with the police investigation of a National Intelligence Service employee who is alleged to have engaged in operations to tarnish the image of the DUP candidate Moon Jae-in on the Internet.

“For the future, and more importantly, for yourselves, please vote,” the men urged, as they concluded the end of their final recording session.

In response to fans’ call for them to start a new version of the show, Chung said that their team now plans to hold talk concerts with the people.

But instead of preselecting topics, as they had done with their podcasts, Chung said they would garner the topics online then carry the discussion to a live venue, focusing on mutual communication.

“The idea is to think about how to fundamentally restructure society so that people who are struggling have a chance to improve their lot,” said Chung.

By Samuel Songhoon Lee (songhoon@heraldcorp.com)