“Policrats” Named As Conspirators Against Opposing Party Members

Many in the political community feel that the incumbent administration is trying to damp down the election campaign by the two leading opposition presidential candidates in order to influence the upcoming presidential election. This is because the government recently reviewed the feasibility of former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak’s canal project and former GNP representative Park Geun-hye`s the train ferry project.

Adding to their conviction is the recent disclosure of real estate dealings, tax records, and investigation reports that ordinary citizens are not privy to. These records are being used to attack the presidential candidates.

“The government does not want a Grand National Party (GNP) candidate to be voted president. It has long planned to keep us out of power, and now the meticulously planned scheme is in work now,” said one GNP official.

“Such an attack on presidential candidates could not have been made without the involvement of a high-ranking official,” said representatives of former Mayor Lee and former Representative Park’s campaign members. “This is what happened during the 2002 presidential elections, and it apparently unfolding all over again."

A negative campaign masterminded by the government-

Assemblyman Chung Du-Uhn, Lee’s chief planning officer, declared that government organizations are united in opposition to the canal project, and that the Financial Supervisory Service briefed the prime minister’s office on the results of the BBK share price manipulation investigation. “This government is doing all it can to discredit opposing party presidential candidates,” said Assemblyman Chung.

“What shows up in the papers about Lee’s real estate dealings could not have been found without government intervention. The government is highly involved,” said a campaign worker for Lee Myung-bak.

Park’s campaign said that the government was involved in bringing up allegations regarding the late Pastor Choi Tae-min and the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation. “In a recent magazine article, there were facts on Pastor Choi that could only be found in government papers. We already responded to all the allegations, but the government is only interested in forging more suspicions.”

The rise of the ‘policrat’-

In a recent campaign member meeting, some members said that the presidential promises of candidates are being evaluated and analyzed by government divisions. This would mean that civil servants are analyzing the presidential promises of their favorite presidential candidates on taxpayer time.

The GNP alleges that the people behind the negative campaigns are working with policrats – bureaucrats that have political agendas.

“Many powerful bureaucrats are behind the negative campaigns because they know that if this administration loses power, they will be forced to resign from their posts,” one GNP member quipped. “These people are using taxpayers’ money and government resources to dig up dirt on presidential candidates. In return, these policrats receive promotions and sought-after posts,” said a GNP member.

Recently, Uri Party Assemblyman Kim Hyuk-gyu disclosed records that could not have been acquired without access to government databases or the assistance of civil servants and government organizations.

A government intelligence organization official replied that there is no official activity that is taking place, and that the civil servants are acting on their own.

“Most attacks take place in the form of leaks to the media”-

Political circle members say that trustworthy and untrustworthy news travels through different channels. They say that trustworthy news comes out through the mouths of opposing party members, but that untrustworthy news comes out in the form of leaks to the media. Though a police investigation is still underway, the GNP is aware that attacks on candidate Lee’s canal project that were reported in an economic journal recently.

“There is no organizational movement to harm opposing party candidates. No one knows who will run in the elections yet,” said an intelligence official.

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