GNP Urges Prosecution Not to Go Too Far
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
A top official of the Grand National Party (GNP) Tuesday warned the prosecution against the negative fallout of its alleged meddling in the presidential campaign.
GNP floor leader Kim Hyong-O said the prosecution's efforts to influence the campaign results will only tarnish the reputation of the judicial authorities.
Kim's warning is a reflection that the main opposition party holds deep distrust of the prosecution after the party and its leading candidates came to be part of two legal cases.
Earlier, the GNP requested the prosecution investigate the leak of classified documents regarding the late Choi Tae-min who was mentor of a GNP presidential contender Park Geun-hye.
The classified memo was written by the nation's intelligence agency in the 1970s, and the document was circulated to the press and even available on the official Web site of presidential candidate Lee Hae-chan of the embattled, pro-government Uri Party.
GNP lawmakers were discontent with the way the prosecution handled the case, seeing the direction of the investigation to be off track.
They shared the view that the focal point of the leak is whether or not the spy agency had a role in the misconduct.
Accordingly, the targets of the prosecution should be such key factors as officials of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and four Internet users who posted the documents on the Web site of Lee, a former prime minister.
Floor leader Kim was critical of the prosecutors who attempted to search e-mail addresses of two journalists of the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper through a raid.
The two reporters covered the classified file regarding Choi for a monthly magazine published by the media.
The judicial authorities' media raid met backlash from the journalists of Dong-a Ilbo who said the search effort is against the protection of sources.
Floor leader Kim also criticized the prosecution's position on another legal case regarding the former Seoul mayor.
The prosecution said it would continue to investigate the suspicions over Lee Myung-bak's property after Lee's brother-in-law withdrew the legal action.
As the brother-in-law of Lee made it clear he would drop the legal action, it is fair to say that the prosecution is not entitled to investigate the case any longer, Kim said. ``If the prosecutors' office keeps trying to work on the case, citizens will conceive the investigation is politically motivated.''
Kim said citizens will decide on their own whether or not presidential contenders are qualified for the presidency.
The media will also play such a role in helping voters decide who is the right one to choose, he added.