Tension Heightened in Political Sector

The Grand National Party (GNP) yesterday submitted a motion of dismissal against Justice Minister Kim Jung-kil for allegedly failing to maintain the prosecution’ neutrality over the alleged draft scandals involving GNP presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang’ two sons.

The Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) strongly opposed the GNP move, regarding it as an act to provoke confusion.

The GNP said that Justice Minister Kim ignored the demand of many prosecutors that Park Yeong-gwan, director of the 1st Special Investigation Division of the Seoul District Pubic Prosecutors` Office, be replaced, and damage the prosecution`s fairness and neutrality.

After holding a general meeting of the party lawmakers, about 300 members of the GNP including Suh Chung-won, party chairman were staging a protest in front of the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, maintaining that the prosecution`s investigation into the draft-dodging scandal was unfair.

The GNP released a statement, and urged President Kim to admit that the draft-dodging scandal was politically motivated, make an official apology to the public and sack Park Jie-won, who pulled the string behind the draft-dodging scandal.

Nam Gyeong-pil, GNP spokesman said in the statement, "The personnel transfers in the prosecution were conducted in an inappropriate way. In the personnel transfer this time, a prosecutor, who probed the corruption scandal involving the President`s son, failed to get promoted. But officials from a specific region occupied all major posts. This is a clearly the government`s attempt to take command over the prosecution in the run up to the presidential election."

In response, the MDP stepped up its offensive against the GNP by accelerating its campaign to collect 10 million signatures from the public to reveal the fact behind the draft-dodging scandal and renewing its commitment to mobilizing all means to bloc the GNP`s bid to seek a no-confidence motion on Justice Minister Kim Jung-kil.

The MDP also criticized the GNP for waging illegal demonstrations on the 22nd and the 23rd in front of the prosecution`s office and Cheong Wa Dae, and decided to file a suit against the GNP.

Lee Nak-yeon, MDP spokesman said, "I`ve never heard of a prosecutor being fired because he hails from a specific region. The GNP is seeking a no-confidence motion on the Justice Minister in a disguised attempt to gloss over the seriousness of the draft-dodging scandal and to turn the public`s interest away from the scandal."

Meanwhile, the Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly held a meeting with Justice Minister Kim on hand and debated over the fairness of the prosecution`s investigation.

ysmo@donga.com