Original summit records to be disclosed

By Jun Ji-hye

Members of the National Assembly House Steering Committee decided Wednesday to make public content the original records of the 2007 inter-Korean summit after viewing the material stored in the National Archives of Korea.

Whether to disclose the original minutes or not has been at the center of a dispute between rival parties over allegations that late President Roh Moo-hyun disavowed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) during the summit.

The committee decided that 10 lawmakers (five from each party) will view the confidential records and then disclose it during a meeting of the committee. The meeting is, in principle, open to reporters.

The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said that lawmakers will only make public content that they have both agreed to release.

The parties agreed to use this method because any statements they make in the National Assembly are protected by parliamentary privilege that exempts them from civil or criminal liability.

Anyone who reveals the content of confidential documents faces up to three years in prison or the suspension of professional qualifications for seven years by law.

“After consultation between the vice chairmen of the committee, 10 lawmakers who will view the records will be selected,” said Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling party and DP’s Jung Sung-ho in a statement.

Yoon and Jung, vice floor leaders of the two parties, said that they asked the archives to submit two copies of the original records to the Assembly.

“Selected lawmakers will view the material at the committee’s meeting room. When and how long the records will be viewed is to be decided later,” the statement said.

The two parties suggested that seven key phrases be added to the archives data search, so that the institute can easily locate records. These are “Northern Limit Line,” “NLL,” “the South-North Korean summit,” “sea border,” “general-level talks,” “equal distance and equal area,” and “defense ministerial talks.”

The scope of the records that parties requested included minutes of the summit, recorded tapes, reports of pre-and-post-summit arrangements and all other relevant electronic documents.

“The committee’s decision came after deliberate discussion of both parties. We agreed that this is the only option to settle controversy and political strife. I hope those opposed to the decision will understand this,” said Saenuri Party floor leader Choi Kyung-hwan who heads the committee.

Controversy surrounding comments made by late President Roh heightened after the National Intelligence Service (NIS) late last month released the minutes of the summit between Roh and then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. According to these records, Roh said, “The NLL should be overhauled.”

However, using the assembly member’s privilege of exemption from liability for “unlawful disclosure” can be seen as an abuse of authority by the legislature. Also, doubts were cast on whether opening the presidential material to the public is in the public interest or for furthering the political interests of the parties.

Kim ik-han, professor of the Graduate School of Records, Archives and Information Science in Myongji University, told reporters: “Their decision to present content of the originals at the committee’s meeting, which media will open later to the public, is a clear violation of the law. It cannot possibly be the case that the legislative body responsible for creating and managing the law decides to violate the law.”

Rep. Jeong Jin-hoo of the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party, a member of the committee who expressed objections over the committee’s decision and walked out of the meeting, said, “Making public the original records cannot be the subject of lawmakers’ privilege of exemption from liability. It just exceeds the acceptable scope of the privilege.”