Roh Promises Transparent and Fair Investigations into Suspicious Cases

President-elect Roh Moo-hyun made it clear on Jan.17, “Thorough investigations should be launched by prosecutors to clear up suspicions raised by the Grand National Party, including the Kim’s outgoing government’s 400 billion won economic aid to North Korea.

As a result, it is highly likely that full-scale investigations into some suspicious allegations, such as the incumbent government’s 400 billion won economic provision to the North, its illegal uses of public funds, and wiretappings allegedly conducted by the National Intelligence Service will be launched by prosecutors.

“It is likely that prosecutors will carry out transparent and fair investigations into some suspicious cases involving the incumbent government without any political considerations. Unless investigations are fully launched before the inauguration, after taking office, I will direct transparent and fair probes into such cases to prosecutors,” president-elect’s spokesman Lee Nak-youn quoted the president-elect as saying.

President-elect Roh made a phone call to the GNP leader Shu Chung-won in the morning and proposed a meeting with party leaders of the rival GNP, “We should meet whether at the party headquarters of the GNP or at the National Assembly building as soon as possible.” The GNP party leader who has been admitted to a hospital because of his accumulated fatigue replied, “There is no reason to avoid a meeting with the president-elect, if it is possible. After getting out of the hospital around Jan. 20, I will call back the president-elect to arrange a meeting.” In light of that, it is likely that a meeting between the president-elect and GNP leader Rep. Shu will take place as early as Jan.21.

“During a meeting with the GNP leader, Roh will ask the GNP to sincerely cooperate with the incoming government for its smooth start by avoiding some suspicious cases raised by the GNP from derailing state affairs,” the spokesman said.

“President-elect Roh thinks that it might be desirable to let nominees for higher officeholders of the incoming government attend at parliamentary questionnaire sessions which will be aired lively across the nation to verify them in various aspects before an amendment to a law concerning confirmation hearings of government officials,” the spokesman added. Without taking into account whether to revise the confirmation hearings’ law or not, the incoming government will follow a verification process of nominees for government posts including heads of National Intelligence Service, Prosecutors’ Office, National Police Agency, and National Tax Service in accordance with a mutual agreement between the ruling and opposition parties.

In response to the president-elect’s remarks, GNP party spokesman Park Jong-hee said, “The meeting between the president-elect and GNP leader Rep. Suh should be a meeting to discuss ways to address pending issues of state affairs and while the GNP will strongly demand that parliamentary investigations and a special independent counsel system should be implemented to go to the bottom of the three suspicious cases such as a 400 billion won cash aid to the North, illegal uses of bailout funds and NIS’ illegal wiretappings, it will try to avoid forming a negative public image of which the GNP seems to take the incoming government hostage by linking our demands to the passage of the act on the presidential transition committee.”

Meanwhile, Presidential Secretary Shin Gye-lyun mentioned the appointment of the Prime Minister during a meeting with reports, “At the current situation under which the ruling party failed to attain the status of a majority party in the National Assembly, the first prime minister in the new government should be a person who garners public support and is a legitimate and reasonable candidate,” which suggested that the most important factor in appointing prime minister is that the appointment would survive a parliamentary confirmation hearing and the passage of an act of the appointment.

The Presidential Secretary also added, “If we fail to find appropriate candidates for any government ministerial posts, the current ministers will remain in offices of the next government. However, it is sure the number will be very limited.”

Jeong-Hun Kim Sung-Won Park jnghn@donga.com swpark@donga.com