[Editorial] Policy Change Needed Concerning Covert Politics

Politics based on covert policing power and operation got its roots from previous military regimes. Kim Dae Jung suffered the most severely under these "covert politics." But new facts have surfaced, evidencing Kim Dae-jung himself and his henchmen adopted tactics used in covert politics to suppress the opposition leader.

Millennium Democrat Sul Hoon alleged that then opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang received $200,000 from Choi Gyu-sun, who later became indicted for his involvement in the corruption case of Kim Hong-gul, the second son of Kim Dae-jung. Looking into how Rep. Sull got the information, we verified the fact that the Blue House actively engaged in covert and possible illicit operations.

In addition to the $200,000 allegations, Sul also acknowledged before the court that the Blue House egged him on to allege that former leader Lee lived in a rented luxury condo. Sul`s illegitimate allegations threw former leader Lee into a hash of public criticism.

Regardless of the truthfulness to his allegations, he should be held responsible, legally and politically, if he had obtained the information through illegal means or channels. Kim Dae-jung resigned from leadership of the Millennium Democratic Party, alleging that he would keep neutrality in the upcoming presidential campaign. But, after resignation, the Blue House was mobilized to secretly gathered information on possible misconduct of a particular presidential candidate, or Lee. In a nutshell, Kim cheated the whole nation, and, in this respect, criticism is legitimate.

Upon taking office, President Roh Moo-hyun promised not to receive any reports on political games. From his "declaration," we can infer that, under past regimes, intelligence agencies conducted covert political operations, which constitute a direct violation of the law, and reported the results to the Blue House. Upon inauguration, Kim Dae-jung newly named the major intelligence body the "National Intelligence Service." But this was a "tongue in cheek" type of action camouflaging its old, but continuing covert legacy of assassinations in the dark.

The prosecution knew all the facts by interrogating former presidential aide Kim Hyun-sup. Nonetheless, it had pushed all the information under the rug until recently. Now, with three months after the end of the presidential election, the legal body merely gave a slap on the wrist to Sul, basically an indictment for defamation. It is the prosecution that has to figure out and unearth all covert political connections between Blue House staff members and Sul and, thereby, sever the continuance of dark political games.