Vice Health Minister Faces Dismissal

By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

The Lee Myung-bak administration is investigating senior government officials who are suspected of having received state subsidies for their ownership of rice paddies, a senior presidential secretary said Tuesday.

Only farmers are eligible for the subsidy, but there have been allegations that as many as 100 senior officials, including Lee Bong-hwa, vice minister of health, welfare and family affairs, have pocketed funds in violation of the law.

The main opposition Democratic Party alleged that seven senior officials, including Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and Vice Minister Lee, took the rice subsidy although they have not produced any crops.

Han's office denied the allegation, saying he has never applied for the rice subsidy.

``Lee and some other officials are now under investigation by the authorities,'' Park Hyung-joon, senior presidential secretary for public relations in state affairs, said on a radio program. ``The government will take appropriate steps as soon as the investigation finishes.''

Park's remarks indicate that President Lee may dismiss or take other disciplinary action against the vice minister, who has been under growing pressure to resign not only from the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) but from opposition parties.

Following media reports suggesting Vice Minister Lee's violation of rules, she said in a press conference that she and her husband engaged in farming, so they are eligible for the subsidy. However, farmers who managed the vice minister's rice paddy, located in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, on behalf of her and other villagers claimed Lee lied.

Lee apologized for ``causing a stir'' and withdrew her application for this year's subsidy.

The government has provided a subsidy to small-income rice producers since the government opened the rice market wider in 2005 in line with international trade agreements. The owners of rice paddies can receive the subsidy only when they actually produced rice, otherwise the money should be given to the tenants.

``Vice Minister Lee is a criminal if she really received the subsidy without engaging in farming,'' GNP floor leader Hong Joon-pyo said. ``There could be many other senior officials who violated the rule. We need to take thorough action to bring these cases to light.''

jj@koreatimes.co.kr