Rep. Kim Jae-yoon of the main opposition Democratic Party shows pictures at a National Assembly session, Wednesday, of police allegedly using force against candlelit protest vigil participants. He said police went too far when they dealt with protestors and this caused them to turn violent. / Yonhap |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Conservatives claimed Wednesday that negotiators had no choice but to sign a belated beef deal with the United States, stressing that former President Roh Moo-hyun pledged to wrap up the deal during his tenure but passed the tricky job on to his successor.
Liberals, meanwhile, countered the argument, calling the pact ``a prepaid ticket'' that allowed President Lee Myung-bak to stay the night at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat.
Lawmakers took on the heated American beef controversy in a question-and-answer session at the National Assembly to look at what ``went wrong'' with the beef negotiations.
Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) said negotiators had to sign the deal, which was supposed to be complete before Lee took office in February.
``Former President Roh said in a statement in April 2007 that his team would conclude the beef deal, which was ongoing at the time, in a reasonable time,'' Kim said. ``Then Minister of Economy and Finance Kwon Oh-kyu confirmed Roh's remarks later, saying both sides would wrap up the deal by September 2007.''
Rep. Lee Kang-rae of the largest opposition Democratic Party (DP) disagreed, arguing that President Lee might have thought the ratification of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States would be easier if his team clinched the beef deal.
``Rumor has it that the deal was a prepaid ticket aimed at Lee's stay at Camp David with Bush,'' Rep. Lee said.
Kang Ki-kab, a minor Democratic Labor Party lawmaker, took the DP lawmaker's side, saying the incumbent government was responsible for the deal.
Lawmakers also took different viewpoints when they defined the nature of the candlelit protests.
Ruling party legislators focused on the violence, claiming a few civic groups took advantage of the protests to achieve political aims.
However, the opposition said police went too far when they dealt with protestors and this caused them to turn violent.
The blame game over the American beef deal and the candlelit rallies may continue in August as an ad hoc committee consisting of GNP and DP lawmakers is scheduled to hold hearings on Aug. 1 and 4 to look into the beef negotiations.
Members of the committee plan to question officials from the health and welfare, foreign affairs and trade, and agriculture ministries, as well as the Korean Embassy in Washington D.C. and the presidential office as part of their fact-finding mission.
hkang@koreatimes.co.kr
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