PSPD Requested Disclosure of Reasons for Property Notice Refusal

The People`s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) officially requested yesterday the National Assembly and the Public Servants` Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs to disclose the lists of lineal family members and the reasons for property notice refusal of the lawmakers and high ranking officials who refused to notify their family members` property registration based on the `article of notification refusal` for lineal family members in the Public Servants` Ethics Law.

According to the document of request, the PSPD claimed that, “In a disclosure of the public officials` property on Feb. 27th and 28th, 35 high ranking officials (5.9 percent) of the government, including President Kim, refused to notify more than 1 family member`s property among the 594 officials who are subjected to the Public Servants` Property Registration Law. Many lawmakers, including the President of the Grand National Party Lee Hoi-Chang, also refused to notify their children`s property.”

The PSPD insisted that, “The article of notification refusal for lineal family members in the Public Servants` Ethics Law was established to harmonize the people`s right to know and the family member`s privacy right. But, it has been abused for a concealing method of the public servants` unjust property and made the Public Servants` Property Registration Law a more scrap of paper.”

kimsunmi@donga.com