Lee endorses special investigation into retirement home scandal
President Lee Myung-bak on Friday endorsed a parliamentary motion authorizing an independent investigation into suspicions surrounding his retirement home project, despite complaints it is unfair for the opposition party to select candidates to lead the probe.
The decision, made at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, appears to reflect concerns about political repercussions a veto could cause, including a public backlash the ruling Saenuri Party would face just three months before the presidential election.
If Lee had rejected the bill, it could have put into question the presidential office's claim of innocence in the scandal.
If Lee had vetoed the motion, it was widely expected the opposition would push for a National Assembly vote, at which a two-thirds majority could overrule the veto. That would have been a major blow to Lee in his final months in office.
The ruling party and the main opposition Democratic United Party passed the bill through parliament early this month to investigate persisting suspicions of irregularities over the now-defunct project to build a retirement home for Lee after he leaves office next year.
Friday was the deadline for Lee to accept or reject the motion.
Presidential aides have said they agree with the bill's purpose, but that the measure is unacceptable because it unfairly empowers the opposition party to choose candidates to lead the investigation. That runs counter to a Constitutional Court ruling that special prosecutors should be neutral and independent of political power, the aides said.
It is the first time in South Korea an opposition party has been given the right to recommend special prosecutor candidates. In all nine previous independent counsel cases, candidates were recommended by either the Supreme Court chief justice or the Korea Bar Association.
On Tuesday, Lee and the Cabinet discussed whether to endorse or veto the measure, but deferred a decision until Friday's deadline, saying more time was needed. That indicated their difficulty in reconciling principles and reality.
Now that Lee accepted the bill, the opposition party will put forward two candidates with at least 10 years of experience as a judge, prosecutor or lawyer, before Lee appoints one as a special prosecutor to lead the investigation.
Upon the appointment, the independent counsel will be given a 10-day preparation period before conducting an investigation for 30 days. The investigation can be extended once for an additional 15 days, pending approval from the president, according to the bill.
The scandal centers around a deal last year to buy a plot of land in Naegok-dong on the southern edge of Seoul for a retirement home for Lee and auxiliary facilities for security personnel there. The land was bought jointly by Lee's 34-year-old son, Si-hyung, and the presidential security service.
The cost was not shared evenly, however, with the security service paying too high a price for the site for the security facilities in what the opposition claimed was a scheme to allow the son to profit from buying the site at a below-market price.
The presidential office has flatly rejected suspicions it was an illicit scheme to help Lee's son profit. Lee later scrapped the project and decided to move into his existing private house in Nonhyun-dong in southern Seoul after leaving office.
The rival parties sought a special investigation after prosecutors wrapped up an inquiry into the scandal in June without filing charges against anyone involved, saying all suspicions in the case had been resolved. The decision sparked a wave of public criticism.
The ruling party is concerned that the scandal, unless handled properly, could deal a blow to its chances in December's presidential election. Lee's term ends in February next year and he cannot seek re-election. (Yonhap)