The prosecution’s investigation into the missing 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript is getting off to a speedy start, as the two main political parties seek to close their differences.

On Saturday, the prosecutors’ office issued a travel ban on former government officials who were in a position to tamper with presidential records during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.

The transcript was found to be missing as lawmakers searched for the document to settle the controversy surrounding allegations that former President Roh Moo-hyun denied the validity of the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea during his meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-il.

The travel bans were issued just two days after the ruling Saenuri Party filed a complaint against those they claimed may have had a hand in the records going missing, including DP’s Rep. Moon Jae-in, Roh’s former chief of staff.

Former bureaucrats banned from leaving the country include former National Intelligence Service director Kim Man-bok, Cho Myung-kyun and Lim Sang-Kyung.

Cho severed as a national security secretary to Roh while Lim served as the first chief of the Presidential Archives.

Moon, who has been accused of having firsthand knowledge of related developments, is not among those banned from leaving the country.

While the prosecution’s investigation gained momentum, Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea reached out to the DP, suggesting a meeting between the chairmen to discuss “all political issues” on Saturday.

“I hope to hold a conference between the chairs of ruling and opposition parties to discuss political issues in the near future,” Hwang said on a visit to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom on Saturday.

“(I) suggest giving the public politics that create joy and stability by discussing all political issues at this meeting.”

Hwang went on to say that those found to be responsible for issues related to the NLL and the NIS should answer for their actions, and that he trusted the two parties’ floor leaders to reach an agreement regarding the parliamentary investigation into the NIS.

However, with the two sides remaining at odds over many related issues, the process of reaching an agreement is likely to be difficult.

The ruling party argues that officials in the Roh Moo-hyun administration should be the focus of the prosecution’s investigation. The DP maintains that the Lee Myung-bak administration is responsible for the disappearance of the summit transcript and that the question of whether it was used by the ruling party in last year’s presidential election must be answered.

The DP has also called for a Hwang to make a public statement admitting some responsibility in causing the deadlock between the parties.

“As the chairman of the Saenuri Party that made the situation as tangled up as possible, (Hwang) should express at least words of regret,” DP spokesman Park Yong-jin said Sunday. Park added that the ruling party’s leader should follow in the footsteps of DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil in taking responsibility for the current situation.

“It is disappointing that the Saenuri Party has not expressed its position on the crude words and inappropriate actions and as the other side in political wrangling in suggesting a conference of the two parties’ chairmen.”

In addition, Moon does not appear ready to let the issue rest while the investigation is carried out.

Speaking at a lecture held in Bongha village ― Roh’s retirement home in South Gyeongsang Province ― Moon pointed the finger of blame at the ruling party and the government, accusing them of attempting to bury the truth.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)