Another Special Inquiry over Presidential Campaign Fund

The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) chairman, Choe Byung-yul, said on Wednesday that he would push to introduce the independent counsel bill which broadly investigates the illicit fundraising during last year’s presidential election campaign.

At a press conference, he pointed out the unfairness of the state prosecutor’s probe, saying, “The prosecutors looking into last year’s alleged illegal fundraising have recently revealed that the election camp of the GNP received 50 billion won from the nation’s top five conglomerates whereas the camp of Roh Moo-Hyun was found to have accepted nothing compared to the amount of money gathered by the GNP.” He went on to say that he would consult with other political parties in order to introduce an independent investigation bill to address the suspicious fundraising during last year’s presidential campaign.

The chairman also said that President Roh Moo-hyun should be held responsible, since the president has acknowledged his misdeeds. If the president is confirmed to have received illicit funds even after being elected, his political stature will be significantly tarnished, Choe added.

“The special counsel probe should be undertaken for the same period of time with the state prosecutor’s probe, and the independent investigation team should be given the same authority with the state prosecutors to conducts its probe,” said the chairman. He added that the special prosecutor should be appointed by the speaker and not by the president. He also suggested that the special counsel office be set up to respond to influence-peddling scandals and illegal election campaigns.

Chairman Choe accused the president of disregarding the state affairs and concentrating on next year’s general elections and pushed to reform the state operations and form a neutral cabinet to manage next year’s general elections.

Touching on the president’s remarks at the special press conference to conduct exit polls about the fundraising, Choe said, “It is to kill the opposition.” Moreover, he insisted that the president and those around him are conducting an illegal pre-election campaign by taking the opposition party’s election administrator while speaking about political reforms.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Yoon Tai-young criticized the opposition leader’s remarks, saying that the GNP move is an irresponsible political offensive.

Yoo In-tae, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, said the president said he will comply with the special inquiry bill should the opposition parties push it through the National Assembly. He dismissed the opposition leader’s idea of the neutral cabinet, saying that the current cabinet is highly neutral and able to manage the elections in a fair manner compared to any cabinet in the past administration.

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com