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Opposition party takes to streets
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Rep. Kim Han-gil, left, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), eats an ice-cream bar at the party’s tent headquarters set up on Seoul Plaza, Thursday. The DP sought to rally support from citizens, arguing the ruling Saenuri Party blocked an investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s alleged illegal intervention in the presidential election. At right is DP floor leader Jun Byung-hun. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) took to the streets Thursday to protest against the ruling Saenuri Party for allegedly blocking an investigation by the National Assembly into the spy agency’s meddling in the 2012 presidential election.
The DP rigged up a temporary headquarters at Seoul Plaza where it held a meeting with senior members. Ninety DP lawmakers were present at the outdoor event.
The last struggle by the DP outside the Assembly was in November 2011 when then the Grand National Party (now the Saenuri Party) pushed for passing a bill to ratify the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, despite opposition from the DP.
“The ruling party has refused to properly conduct the parliament investigation targeting the National Intelligence Service (NIS),” said Kim Han-gil, the DP chairman. “We and the public don’t understand why the Saenuri Party is reluctant to invite former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon and former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan to the Assembly hearings as witnesses.”
Rival parties earlier agreed to carry out a parliamentary investigation until Aug. 15. They plan to receive a status report from the NIS next Monday and hold hearings for two days beginning Wednesday.
However, they have still locked horns over matters related to who is to be invited as witnesses.
The DP demands that the parties in advance agree to issue an accompanying warrant against Won and Kim and file a complaint with the prosecution, if they do not comply with the Assembly’s request for attendance.
What the opposition is concerned about is that Won, as a former official of the NIS, could reject to appear before the Assembly or refuse to answer lawmakers’ questions, citing a reason that all former and incumbent NIS officials have a legal responsibility to keep secrets regarding the agency’s activities.
However, the ruling party is resisting such a call, claiming that it makes no sense to determine whether to accuse the two beforehand because the warrant can be issued only after figures do not attend the Assembly session without reasonable cause.
Parties also clashed over whether they have to adopt sitting lawmakers as witnesses.
The DP wants to include Saenuri Party lawmaker Kim Moo-sung and Ambassador to China Kwon Young-se on the witness list, insisting they are suspected of having acquired minutes of the 2007 inter-Korean summit from the NIS before its head Nam Jae-joon declassified the confidential material.
The ruling party claims that two DP lawmakers, Kim Hyun and Jin Sun-mee, should be questioned over allegations of violating the rights of a female NIS agent while preventing her from leaving for more than a day last December.
The DP’s struggle increases the likelihood that the remaining probe schedules could founder.
“We will hold a mass rally in Cheonggye Plaza with the public on Saturday,” said DP chairman Kim Han-gil.
The two main political parties, however, expressed a will to keep talking to each other to arrive at a conclusion, which is obviously seen as an attempt to avoid responsibility for the crippled investigation.
“We are ready to talk. But we will not agree to negotiate if the ruling party’s demand is against the public’s expectations,” said DP floor leader Jun Byung-hun.
Saenuri Party Floor Leader Choi Kyung-hwan said that the DP’s protest outside the Assembly is very regrettable, claiming such behavior will only bust up the parliament probe.
“I will meet the DP leadership and discuss all possibilities regarding adopting witnesses,” he said.
During a meeting of his party, Choi is said to have presented a proposal that the ruling party accepts some of DP’s requirements.
Meanwhile, the Seoul government said Thursday that it issued a fine against the DP for occupying Seoul Plaza without permission.
The municipal ordinance stipulates that anyone who wants to use the plaza should be obliged to get permission 5 to 90 days in advance.
The DP could not get through this process because it only decided to conduct its protest a day earlier.