Ruling party calls for special counsel to probe Roh, Lee governments; opposition rejects proposal


Rival parties clashed over the scandal involving government officials spying on civilians, with the ruling party trying to distance itself from the current government and the opposition attempting to further implicate the presidential office and the ruling party.

The ruling Saenuri Party on Monday called for a special investigation of both the current and previous administrations, saying that most of the illicit surveillance documents were made during the late president Roh Moo-hyun government as claimed by Cheong Wa Dae.

The scandal had until recently been focused on Cheong Wa Dae officials’ alleged attempt to cover up their involvement in the Prime Minister’s Office’s surveillance scheme. However, following the revelation of new evidence on Thursday, the scandal has engulfed key figures in Cheong Wa Dae, as well as the Roh administration.

On Thursday, the striking union of the broadcaster KBS revealed documents indicating that the ethics division of the PMO had in its possession reports on surveillance activities on more than 2,600 people and organizations.

The documents also showed that some of the cases were opened under directions from the presidential office.

Following the revelation Cheong Wa Dae responded by announcing that about 2,200 of the reports were drawn up during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.
 
“We propose to the opposition party a special counsel investigation to reveal all information related to the current and previous administrations’ surveillance of civilians,” Saenuri Party spokesman Lee Sang-il said. He added that there is a need to uncover who was behind the disclosure of the documents as the information has been revealed and used for political ends.

However, the main opposition Democratic United Party has rejected the suggestion, saying that it was a ploy for escaping “urgent circumstances.”

Rep. Park Young-sun of the DUP said Monday that as a special counsel would put the current investigation on hold, the prosecutors’ office’s investigation must be concluded, then followed up with a parliamentary investigation and hearing.

The opposition party has also revealed new information suggesting deeper involvement of Cheong Wa Dae.

According to Park, former chief of the PMO’s ethics division, Lee In-kyu and other officials visited Cheong Wa Dae on 195 occasions between July 16, 2008 and June 23, 2010. The records revealed by Park show that Lee and other PMO officials met with a number of officials including the then chief of presidential secretariat for civic affairs Kwon Jae-jin, and Jang Seok-myeong is a senior official in the presidential secretariat for civil affairs.

Kwon is currently the Minister of Justice, and Jang is alleged to have attempted to bribe Jang Jin-su, who first revealed that he was acting under the orders of Cheong Wa Dae officials when destroying related evidence.

With evidence implying Cheong Wa Dae’s close involvement in related activities, some in opposing political camps have called for President Lee Myung-bak to step down, calling him the “real body” behind the scandal.

Former presidential secretary for employment and labor Lee Young-ho has claimed that he was the “body” behind Cheong Wa Dae’s involvement in the case. Prosecutors investigating the case have questioned Lee, and are now seeking an arrest warrant for the former presidential secretary.

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