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| Reps. Jung Cheong-rae, left, and Park Nam-choon of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy enter the National Election Commission in Seoul, Thursday, to request investigation into whether Financial Minister Choi Kyung-hwan and Home Affairs Minister Chong Jong-sup violated their political neutrality in a workshop of the ruling Saenuri Party on Wednesday. / Yonhap |
By Jun Ji-hye
Government Administration and Home Affairs Minister Chong Jong-sup, and Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan have been embroiled in controversy over their alleged violation of political neutrality by speaking in favor of the ruling Saenuri Party.
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) filed a complaint Thursday with the National Election Commission (NEC) against the two for allegedly violating the Public Official Election Act.
Their controversial comments were made Wednesday when they had a meeting with some 70 lawmakers from the governing party.
Other high-ranking government officials, including Hyun Jung-taik, the senior presidential secretary for policy coordination, also attended.
While making a report about economic trends for the second half of the year, Choi said, "The government will seek to raise the rate of economic growth up to the mid-3 percent to help the party in the general election."
Assembly elections will take place in April 2016.
Chong's controversial remarks came when he lifted a glass of beer and proposed a toast to the lawmakers shouting, "Victory in the general election!"
Ruling party lawmakers and government officials repeated the phrase following Chong.
The NPAD argued that both Choi and Chong clearly violated the Public Official Election Act, which stipulates that civil servants must remain neutral with regard to elections.
In its complaint submitted to the NEC, the largest opposition party claimed, "Choi openly spoke that he will link government economic policy to the governing party's political purpose, which severely damages his politically neutrality as a civil servant."
Regarding Chong's remarks, the complaint also argued that, "It was a clear violation of the Election Law."
NPAD spokeswoman Rep. Yoo Eun-hae said, "It was a shock," and urged President Park Geun-hye to sack Chong immediately.
Rep. Kim Sung-ju recalled that the Grand National Party (the predecessor of the Saenuri Party), attempted to impeach then liberal President Roh Moo-hyun in 2003 for making remarks construed as supporting the Uri Party (now the NPAD), urging Choi and Chong to step down from their positions voluntarily.
Rep. Jung Cheong-rae noted that his party will wait for the NEC's evaluation of the party's complaint first, and then decide whether to file a complaint with the prosecution.
Rep. Kim Young-woo, a spokesman of the ruling party, downplayed the NPAD's argument.
He said, "Chong did not support a certain party in front of general voters. He just gave words of blessing to ruling party lawmakers. Strictly speaking, he did not concretely say, ‘Victory for the Saenuri Party.'"
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs have yet to respond to the controversy.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
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