By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairman Kim Gui-hwan's bribing of 30 other council members in order to be elected for the top post drew criticism from the opposition parties and calls for measures to stem similar corruption scandals.
All the members implicated in the bribery case belong to the ruling Grand National Party (GNP).
An arrest warrant was sought for Kim, 60, Sunday on suspicions of offering roughly 35 million won ($34,700) to 30 council members ahead of the election for the chairmanship last month.
The opposition Democratic Party urged law enforcement authorities to expand the probe into other local councils.
Song Young-gil, a senior member of the party, said, ``The GNP may have tried to wipe off its corruption-ridden image, but its true nature is emerging again. To find similar cases, police have to conduct thorough investigations into other local councils that GNP members dominate.''
Another senior DP member Kim Min-seok said, ``The council members were out of their mind to have a bribery party amid the current economic difficulty. Their job is to watch Seoul city's administrative affairs, but it's like having a fox guard the henhouse. Not only the city government but also the council should be under inspection.''
According to police, Kim gave the money to 30 council members from April, asking for their support at the election. The members spent the money on overseas trips or stock investments.
Police finished investigating the 30 members and will book all of them on bribery charges. If they are fined more than 1 million won at the Supreme Court, they will lose their jobs, as mandated by the Election Law.
They account for 28 percent of the total 106 council seats, among which 100 are GNP members ― including the 30.
The council Monday canceled its planned inauguration ceremony for the new chairperson. It had started an extra session, but its function is virtually paralyzed. ``It is the first time for a head of the Seoul council to be arrested. With one third of the members being involved in the bribery, the council will not be able to represent 10 million Seoul citizens and properly inspect the city government,'' a council member said.