Opposition Party Moves to Legislate Anti-Political Revenge Law

The Grand National Party will move forward with a plan to legislate an anti-political revenge law, which allows a committee composed of the Chief Justice, Justices of the Constitutional Court, and the members of the National Human Rights Committee, to interrupt the investigations that are judged to be investigations for political revenge.

However, the New Millennium Democratic Party and the judiciary circle betrayed their negative views on the legislation due to the obscurity of the legal concept of political revenge and the possible violation of the investigation rights of related organizations even though they acknowledge the purpose of legislation.

According to the GNP`s draft of the bill, a committee under the National Assembly can appoint special prosecutors to re-investigate cases related to political revenge and, if the inspection and investigation turned out as performing for the sake of political interest, the involved persons will be sentenced up to 3 years in prison or levied a fine not exceeding 20 million won.

The draft also allows the committee to recommend National Tax Service or Fair Trade Commission to suspend the audits and inspections, and to rectify the biased personnel appointments if they were related to political revenge.

GNP will hold a hearing to collect public opinions from people of all social standings to decide the final draft of the bill and will submit it to the National Assembly. Lee Gang-Doo, chairperson of policy-making committee, remarked, "president Lee Hoi-Chang promised in his New Year`s speech to cut off the vicious cycle of political revenge. And the party will move to legislate the anti-political revenge law which has been discussed since last year for a grand national reconciliation."

Park Jong-Woo, the chairperson of the NMDP`s policy-making committee, responded negatively saying, "the criteria for political revenge and the definition of personnel appointment for political revenge are so obscure in reality that the legislation will create more confusion and disputes."

Mr. Yang In-Seok (lawyer) commented, "Even though there have been many attempts to legislate the anti-political revenge law, political revenges have recurred. The effectiveness of the legislation is doubtful."

In-Soo Song issong@donga.com · Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com