Unclear Future of DA’s Probes in Cases Involving GNP Candidates

How will the prosecution react, once the Grand National Party (“GNP”) determines its official presidential contender next Monday?

Many experts predict that post-nomination maneuvering will be very limited in scope. The whole presidential race has been an intra-party competition so far among GNP candidates. However, after the GNP selection, the competition will turn into an inter-party affair, leaving little room for the prosecution to maneuver due to its obligations to keep politically neutral.

Thus, it will be practically impossible for the DA’s office to press hard on the allegations it is now investigating.

The Seoul District Public Prosecutors’ Office has assigned 11 federal attorneys to probe the various allegations filed against former mayor-turned-GNP presidential hopeful Lee Myung-bak. It has also been looking into criminal claims against former GNP leader Park Geun-hye.

The prosecutors and law enforcement authorities are well aware of their situation that investigating the cases after the GNP nomination is likely to be seen as politically motivated and biased.

Many insiders also foretell that the DA’s office will not move ahead on the probe into the land deal case allegedly involving former Mayor Lee. The office already announced that the land lot belonged to a third-party individual and not to former mayor Lee’s brother, Lee Sang-eun.

The prosecution knows how people may react to its investigation and how enormously its results can influence voters. A prosecutor told the Dong-A Ilbo, “If we press hard on the cases after the GNP primary, the public will doubt our intent. Politicians may try pushing us in a different direction. But we cannot satisfy their politically-motivated interests.”

On the other hand, quite a number of people still believe that the prosecution will influence the election results, a theory that Koreans informally call “typhoon-role theory.” It presumes that inter-party hegemony will eventually push the DA’s office into the eye of the political typhoon.

Ruling camp’s presidential hopefuls will attack the GNP candidate with a bombardment of allegations thrown to the authorities.

The GNP is on the highest alert against any possible illegal leakage of the DA’s investigation progresses and results. Once the details are released to an outsider, the DA’s office will be forced to look deep into the involved case.

Attorney General Jeong Sang-myeong swiftly ordered the formation of a special team to handle this issue. Jeong is heard to have suddenly directed the DA’s office to release the investigation details on August 13 and organize a press conference on August 15.

Jeong’s moves, however, have aroused strong reactions and suspicions over his real intentions even among prosecutors.

needjung@donga.com dnsp@donga.com