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Fri, January 27, 2023 | 15:57
-------------------------
Park's handling of 'memogate' raising eyebrows
朴대통령 비선실세 인식 불변…"찌라시 얘기" 쐐기
Posted : 2014-12-07 17:20
Updated : 2014-12-07 21:25
Kang Seung-woo
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By Kang Seung-woo

President Park Geun-hye
President Park Geun-hye
President Park Geun-hye's apparent lack of understanding in her responses to the continuing "memogate" scandal has raised eyebrows.

On Sunday, Park flatly rejected allegations that a group of her core former and incumbent aides meddled in state affairs, describing it as an attack on her administration.

Political pundits say that the President seems to have problems in assessing the political situation.

"I think that the President does not take the ongoing conditions seriously," said Prof. Chung Goon-gi of Hongik University. "With three years still remaining, she seems to be just pushing through the scandal."

During a meeting with top officials of the ruling Saenuri Party and other staff at Cheong Wa Dae, Park again complained about memogate.

"It is a shame that false rumors have unsettled the whole nation," Park said.

"With the national economy in emergency mode, I ask the ruling party to prevent such wasteful allegations and disputes from dealing another blow to the administration."

The political scandal centers on a leaked internal document from the presidential office drawn up by a former Cheong Wa Dae official, indicating that Park's former aide, Jeong Yun-hoe, and Park Ji-man, her younger brother, were engaged in a power struggle.

"Jeong left me a long time ago and we have not contacted each other. I keep my brother away from Cheong Wa Dae after failed management of relatives by previous administrations," she said, calling the alleged power struggle "nonsense."

"Nothing can unsettle me and I have a strong faith."

The prosecution said Sunday that it is planning to ask Jeong to appear on Tuesday or Wednesday for questioning about the allegations. Prosecutors added that they are set to wrap up their investigation by the end of this week.

Last week, Park described the leak as an unimaginable breach of national security during a meeting with her senior presidential secretaries.

The presidential office is under fire for allegedly highlighting who leaked the document rather than investigating whether Park's former aide, Jeong Yun-hoe, influenced state affairs.

"The people believe that the presidential office should resolve the issue. However, it failed to comprehend public opinion and just tossed the matter over to the prosecution, while claiming they are innocent," said Hangil Research director Hong Hyeong-sik.

"Her remarks on Sunday indicate that Park still depends on her confidants for managing state affairs."

Hong added that it was important to find out who leaked the document, but with further allegations implicating her aides emerging, the sticking point remains whether or not Jeong meddled in state affairs.

"After a daily reported the suspicions without properly confirming them, other news media have continued to make absurd allegations. I want you to watch the result of the prosecution's probe into the case without being swayed by such unilateral allegations," Park said.

Chung said, "It will be difficult for prosecutors to come up with a result contradicting the President."

Meanwhile, rival parties are bracing for a standoff over the scandal.

While former government officials continue to fuel the spiraling political storm, waging a war of disclosures, the possible participation of Park Ji-man, the President's younger brother, is likely to lead another standoff, similar to that seen over the contents of the special "Sewol" bill earlier this year.

The National Assembly is scheduled to open a session on Dec. 15 to fast-track pending bills, but there are growing concerns that it may end up in a fierce battle, putting the ruling Saenuri Party in defensive mode against the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD)'s harsh criticism of President Park.

The NPAD voiced a complaint at the President's Sunday meeting with Saenuri Party's top officials and members of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts at Cheong Wa Dae.

"Rather than making a public apology for the allegations including her close aides, she has ordered prosecutors on how to investigate the case," NPAD spokesman Rep. Park Soo-hyun said after the meeting.

"What the people are really aware of is that the country was swayed by her confidants. Cheong Wa Dae and the Saenuri Party should know that the allegations have exhausted the patience of the people."

However, the Saenuri Party defended Park, calling the allegations "malicious propaganda."

"Such campaigns derail government operations. We urge the NPAD to stop malicious political attacks," said Saenuri spokeswoman Rep. Kim Hyun-sook.

In addition, the first two days of the extra session will allow lawmakers to question pending issues, while the political war is expected to reach fever pitch.

The Saenuri Party is poised to push through bills in the parliament aimed at reforming the pension system for government official and revitalizing the sluggish economy.

However, it remains to be seen if the ruling side will be able to pursue its plans. Further allegations regarding memogate are emerging on an almost daily basis and a minority group within the ruling party is urging the renewal of personnel at Cheong Wa Dae.

The NPAD is set to take advantage of the ongoing scandal in order to recover its falling support.

As part of its attack on President Park, the party is seeking a special prosecutor and a parliamentary hearing to investigate the allegations.


朴대통령 비선실세 인식 불변…"찌라시 얘기" 쐐기

박근혜 대통령은 7일 여당 지도부와의 오찬에서 '정윤회 국정개입' 문건 유출 사태로 촉발된 비선실세 논란에 대해 '터무니없는 얘기이자 찌라시에나 나오는 얘기'라며 거듭 쐐기를 박았다.

문건유출 이후 야당과 언론의 잇단 의혹제기로 비선실세 논란이 더욱 증폭되면서 인적쇄신론까지 거론되는 상황임에도 박 대통령은 이런 상황전개를 '국정 흔들기'로 규정하고, '문건정국'을 돌파하겠다는 의지를 재삼 드러낸 것.

특히 참석자들에게 '겁날 일 없다' '절대로 흔들리지 않을 것'이라고 결기를 드러내며 지원을 당부하는 한편 이번 파문의 핵심에 선 정윤회 씨와 동생 박지만 EG회장의 권력암투설 및 국정개입 의혹들을 적극 부정했다.

그러나 박 대통령이 검찰 수사의 와중에 이번 '문건 사건'을 총론적으로 규정함에 따라 야당으로부터 '또 가이드라인을 제시했다'는 비판이 나오는 등 논란을 예고했다.

◇ '찌라시에 나오는 이야기들에 나라 흔들려, 부끄러운 일' = 박 대통령은 지난 1일 청와대 수석비서관 회의에서 문건 유출을 국기문란으로 규정한데서 한 발짝 더 나아가 이날 '찌라시에나 나오는 그런 얘기들에 나라 전체가 흔들린다는 것은 정말 대한민국이 부끄러운 일이다. 소모적인 의혹제기와 논란으로 국정이 발목잡히는 일이 없도록 해야 한다'고 말했다.

또 '한 언론이 제대로 확인도 하지않고 보도한 후에 여러 곳에서 터무니없는 얘기들이 계속 나오는데 이런 일방적인 주장에 흔들리지 말고 검찰의 수사결과를 지켜봐주셨으면 한다'고 당부했다.

이러한 언급은 '정윤회 문건'에 거론된 의혹뿐만 아니라 정씨와 핵심비서관 3인방이 주인공으로 등장하는 국정개입 의혹이 이른바 실체가 없는 찌라시 수준이며, 따라서 이는 이른바 국정흔들기 차원에서 이뤄지고 있다는 박 대통령 인식이 반영된 대목이다.

이는 문건 유출이 '국기문란' 행위라는 엿새 전 인식이 고스란히 반영된 것이어서 야당과의 대립각은 좁혀지지 않을 전망이다.

◇ '정윤회 연락도 끊긴 사람, 지만 부부 靑 얼씬도 못하게 해' = 박 대통령은 오찬장 헤드테이블에서 정씨와 박지만 EG회장의 실명을 언급하며 '갈등설은 있을 수 없는 일'이라고 일축했다.

파문의 핵심인사들에 대한 자신의 판단을 들려줌으로써 문건에 나오는 의혹들이 찌라시에 불과하다는 점을 강조하면서 당 지도부를 향해 자신을 믿고 현 국면을 함께 타개하자는 메시지를 내놓았다는 분석이 가능하다.

실버라이트 설치하기
특히 박 대통령은 정씨에 대해 '이미 오래전에 내 옆을 떠났고 연락도 끊긴 사람'으로 묘사했고, 지만씨 부부에 대해서는 '역대 정권의 친인척 관리를 보고, 지만 부부는 청와대에 얼씬도 못하게 했다'며 두 사람과 자신의 관계 및 주변관리 등에 대해 비교적 구체적으로 설명했다.

이러한 언급의 배경에는 이번 파문의 핵심의혹으로 거론되는 정씨와 청와대 '비서 3인방'의 유착 및 국정개입 의혹, 더 나아가 '정윤회-박지만 권력암투설' 등이 실체가 없는 '국정흔들기'라는 점을 좀더 분명히 밝히기 위한 차원으로 풀이된다.

이를 통해 비단 야당의 공세뿐아니라 새누리당 비주류 일각에서 제기되는 청와대 시스템 개선론을 비롯해 이른바 '문고리 3인방' 및 비서실장 인책론 등을 잠재우려는 측면도 있다는 관측이다.

박 대통령은 이런 인식 때문인듯 인책론이 거론되는 김기춘 비서실장과 이재만 총무비서관·정호성 제1부속비서관, 안봉근 제2부속비서관 등 이른바 핵심비서관 3인방의 거취 문제는 언급하지 않았다.

◇ 가이드라인 제시 논란 재연 조짐 = 박 대통령은 '절대로 흔들리지 않을 것이다. 겁나는 일이나 두려운 것도 없다'며 문건정국 돌파에 대한 결연한 각오를 드러내며 당의 협조를 요청했다.

박 대통령은 '제가 왜 대통령이 되려고 했었던가, 여러분들이 왜 정권을 창출하려고 했었던가'라고 되물으면서 자신과 여당이 한배를 탄 운명공동체임을 상기시키며 '우리 모두 언젠가는 세상을 떠야되고 이 일도 마쳐야 되는데 기회가 주어졌을 때 그 일을 안하고 뭘 하겠는가'라고 강조했다.

아울러 '어떻게 됐는지 일생을 나라 걱정을 하면서 살았다'며 '그래서 야당 생활부터 시작해 여기까지 왔고 대통령까지 된 것은 그것을 한번 이뤄보려고, 걱정 안하고 살 수 있는 그런 나라가 되도록 한번 해보겠다고 해온 것'이라고 덧붙였다.

그러나 이날 박 대통령의 '찌라시' 발언이 검찰의 수사가 한창 진행중인 가운데 나온 것이어서 지난 1일 수석비서관 회의 발언에 이어 재차 '가이드라인'을 제시한 것 아니냐는 논란에 휩싸일 조짐이다.

당장 새정치민주연합은 박 대통령 오찬 발언 내용이 전해지자 '의혹 자체를 부정하는 가이드라인을 당 지도부와 검찰에 또다시 확실하게 제시한 것'이라고 비판했고, 정씨와 '십상시' 멤버인 청와대 비서진, 김종 문화체육관광부 2차관 등 12명을 검찰에 고발 또는 수사의뢰했다.
Emailksw@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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