Lee and Park Broke Agreement, Ignored Screening Committee

Ahn Kang-min, head of the GNP’s internal screening committee, strongly denounced the frontrunners in the GNP presidential race for breaking agreements and attacking each other by leaking information to the media.

At a press conference at Yeouido on July 18, which was held one day ahead of the GNP’s in-house hearing, Ahn pointed out, “With the hearing, which will be held tomorrow on July 19, we will put an end to all verification activities. Despite the fact that the frontrunners had agreed only to submit all documents to the committee and restrain themselves from political offensives, they instead leaked information to the media and attacked each other.”

Also, he added, “Now that the main issues are disclosed to the public by going as far as to file lawsuits to the investigation teams against each other, I feel skeptical of what purpose this screening committee exists for.”

Ahn said, “During the two months starting from May 25, we probed 22 cases of Lee, including suspicions over irregular trading of properties by his relatives, and 12 cases of Park, including suspicions over Yukyung Foundation, which left several loose ends. We were confronted with difficulties as the candidates’ camps were reluctant to answer the questions despite persistent questions.”

Based on the results identified so far, the screening committee sent out questionnaires to former Seoul mayor Lee and the former party chairwoman Park consisting of 200 questions and 160 questions each, respectively, which the frontrunners are requested to provide answers for at the hearing on July 19.

According to the hearing questionnaire which Dong-A Ilbo obtained, Lee will face questions including suspicions over his several real estate property trading deals, his involvement in stock manipulation of the investment company BBK, dodging compulsory military service, wrongdoings during his term as Seoul mayor, and alleged concealment of a traffic accident.

Meanwhile, Park will face questions on suspicions of receiving 0.9 billion won from then officer of commander Jeon Doo-whan in 1979, her relationship with the late reverence Choi Tae-min, wrongdoings during her tenure at Yeungnam University, and scandals concerning her aides.

Fifteen members, who consisted of eight in-house screening committee members, including Ahn, and seven working-level members plan to throw questions to the candidates. The hearing, which will be aired on KBS, MBC, SBS, and YTN will broadcast Park’s session from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Lee will attend from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the afternoon.

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