Roh Pushing for Two Promises to Eradicate Government Officials` Corruption

President-elect Roh`s transition team on Thursday has decided to deliver on his campaign pledges to establish a government agency in charge of investigation into high-profile government workers` corruption cases and to introduce the independent counsel system for a limited period of time.

In its report to the transition team, the Ministry of Justice showed opposition to the idea of setting up a special agency to deal with corruption cases involving high-ranking government officials. However, the transition committee responded that the establishment of the special agency is unavoidable.

In principle, the presidential transition team plans to provide the newly established agency with a function of collecting information as well as the investigative right. However, since there are worries that the jobs of the special agency and the independent counsel could overlap, the team decided to prepare complementary measures.

In a briefing after the Justice Ministry`s report to the transition team, Rep. Park Beom-gye in its subcommittee for political affairs hinted at working out measures to draw a line in the two agencies` jobs, saying "In keeping Mr. Roh`s two campaign pledges, the work of the two agencies should not be overlapped and check and balance should be maintained between the two."

Rep. Park announced that regarding the two campaign promises, the subcommittee for political affairs decided on five principles including maintaining the principle of division of powers; check and balance among government offices through the dispersion of power; eliminating overlapping in functions among government offices; preparing an efficient device to root out corruption; and making a safety valve to reduce public suspicions over corruption cases.

The transition team`s five-point announcement is interpreted as its intention to clarify its principle that it will set up a special agency as a means to eradicate corruption and the independent counsel system will be used for cases resulting in public suspicions.

For the allegation of the Kim Dae-jung government`s $400 billion aid to the North, Rep. Park said, "There has been no discussion on that matter in detail."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice announced that the ministry, well aware that the public takes a jaundiced view of the prosecution, would make efforts to reform it under the incoming government. He added that its will to prevent and root out corruption cases involving high-ranking government officials is firm but that it should be careful in establishing an extra agency.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com