DUP lambastes prosecution for ‘political oppression’


The main opposition Democratic United Party floor leader Park Jie-won is being pushed further into a corner by an ongoing bribery investigation, with reports of new leads implicating him in the nomination scandal.

It is the second major scandal that Park has been embroiled in since the beginning of the new National Assembly, following his controversial summons earlier this month over suspected bribes from ailing savings banks.

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office was reportedly investigating Thursday new clues allegedly showing exchanges of text messages between Park’s mobile phone and two others concerning the status of the party’s nomination for the April general elections.

According to the prosecutors, the head of an organization affiliated to Seoul’s Gangseo ward office identified as Lee and a businessman from Busan identified as Jeong exchanged text messages with Park talking about the party’s nomination.

Lee is currently under arrest on charges of providing money in exchange for being nominated for April’s general elections.

On Aug. 28, prosecutors arrested four people including Lee and Yang Kyung-sook, former head of pro-Roh Moo-hyun Internet radio station Radio21, for violating the Political Fund Act and Public Official Election Act.

Yang is suspected of receiving around 4 billion won ($3.5 million) from the three people between January and March as an “investment” after she promised them DUP nominations, citing Park Jie-won’s name.

“I hope to see the project succeed,” read the message sent to Park’s number from Lee’s mobile phone on March 19, a day before the DUP announced its proportional candidate nomination, according to news reports. Immediately after, a reply was sent from Park’s number saying “I am sorry. It is difficult.”

Similar conversations took place between Park and Jeong, according to news reports.

The DUP strongly denied the implication on Thursday, explaining that Park was merely delivering a courteous message without any ulterior meaning.

The party also explained that the leadership had no authority over the nomination process and that all three suspects were dropped early on.

The prosecution also remained cautious over Park’s involvement, saying they were also looking into the possibility of the content of the messages and the phone number from having been forged.

The prosecutors are now closely looking into the personal bank accounts of all suspects as well as their business accounts to trace the final destination of the funds.

Park, nonetheless, faces a looming predicament as the prosecution is also reportedly reviewing a plan to submit a request to detain him along with Saenuri Party Rep. Chung Doo-un over their alleged involvement in a bribery case within this week at the earliest.

If the Assembly approves the detainment, Park could face two investigations at once.

The DUP, meanwhile, strongly denounced the probe as political oppression.

“Park is practically receiving the investigation already despite how he has not even been summoned (about the latest case) because the investigation details are being disclosed to the media every single day,” floor spokesman Woo Won-shik said at a news briefing Thursday.

The ruling Saenuri Party, also involved in its own cash-for-nomination scandal, upped their attack.

“All suspicion seems to be heading toward DUP floor leader Park,” Secretary-General Suh Byung-soo said.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)