President accepts special probe

By Chung Min-uck

Suspicions over the purchase of a plot of land on which a retirement residence for President Lee Myung-bak was intended to be built will be subject to an investigation by a special prosecutor, nominated by the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP).

The national Assembly motion for this was endorsed at a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Lee, Friday, the deadline for him to decide whether to veto it.

“I decided to accept the motion in order to stop wasteful arguments,” Lee was quoted as saying by the presidential senior press secretary Choe Guem-nak.

Cheong Wa Dae raised questions about the constitutionality of the bill because it empowers the main opposition party to name the prosecutor.

“Allowing the main opposition party to recommend a special prosecutor is nothing but a political tactic put forward by the political parties,” Lee said. “We hope the DUP will recommend candidates in a way that guarantees their neutrality and fairness.”

Cheong Wa Dae claimed the nomination process is against a Constitutional Court ruling that special prosecutors should be neutral and independent from any kind of political power.

Analysts say Lee’s endorsement was aimed to prevent a possible public backlash against the ruling Saenuri Party if he had vetoed the investigation with the presidential election less than three months away.

Rep. Park Geun-hye, the presidential candidate of the Saenuri Party, is currently running neck-and-neck with Rep. Moon Jae-in, the DUP candidate, and independent Ahn Cheol-soo in various opinion polls.

Following the endorsement, the investigation will be conducted for 30 days after Lee appoints the prosecutor from the candidates listed by the main opposition party.

The Saenuri Party and the DUP earlier passed a special investigation motion on the now-defunct project of building Lee’s retirement home in Naegok-dong, southern Seoul. The project came under fire after it was learned that the land was jointly bought by the President, his son Lee Si-hyung and the presidential security service.

The project is alleged to have been a scheme for Lee to allow his 34-year-old son to buy the land at a price below market value.

Lee, whose term ends next February, and his aides have strongly objected to such claims.