Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Parties clash over probe into slush funds
Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo drinks a glass of water during a National Assembly interpellation session in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
PM vows to cooperate with investigators
By Jun Ji-hye
The main political parties engaged in a spat Monday over whether all the parties should be investigated over alleged illicit political funds given by former Keangnam Chairman Sung Woan-jong.
The clash was triggered by Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung, who told reporters that he was willing to be questioned, and that the opposition parties should follow his lead.
“I was responsible for the 2012 presidential poll in the governing camp. As far as I know, there was no illegality,” he said. “I am willing to accede to the investigation, and the opposition also needs to do so, as there should be no difference between rival parties regarding fund raising for the presidential election.”
Kim made the comments based apparently on the belief that Sung had many connections in the political arena irrespective of which parties they belonged to.
Sung, who was found dead Thursday in an apparent suicide, left a list of politicians who allegedly accepted bribes from him. The list mostly includes figures from the ruling side including President Park Geun-hye’s Chief of Staff Lee Byung-kee; Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo; South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo; Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok; and Rep. Hong Moon-jong.
Before killing himself, Sung told a vernacular daily that he gave 200 million won ($182,000) to Rep. Hong, a noted supporter of President Park, as political funds for the 2012 presidential election.
The prosecution launched a special team and is investigating the bribe scandal.
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) played down the suggestion from the ruling party chairman, describing it as his attempt to involve the opposition.
“If Kim made the comments regarding the opposition without evidence, it amounts to an attempt to water down mounting suspicions about the list,” said NPAD spokesman Rep. Kim Yung-rok. “Kim should apologize for his unabashed attack on the opposition.”
NPAD Chairman Moon Jae-in, who was the presidential candidate of the largest opposition party during the 2012 poll, expressed his displeasure with Kim’s remark.
“Am I on the list drawn up by Sung? Did Sung say that he offered funds to the NPAD during the presidential poll? The ruling party must not blame others,” Moon told reporters.
For his part, Prime Minister Lee told lawmakers that he will surely accede to the investigation if prosecutors ask him to do so.
“Any investigation should not protect those involved including the prime minister,” he said during his attendance at a four-day interpellation session that began Monday.
There was speculation that he called two councilors of Taean Council of South Chungcheong Province, who met Sung before he died, more than 10 times. Lee explained, “I have personal ties with the two. I think calling them and asking about Sung was natural behavior for me as Sung put my name on his list.”
In the mean time, Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn told the session that the prosecution will dig into the case thoroughly.
Before he died, Sung was at the center of prosecution investigation into allegations of fraud and the creation of a slush fund during the failed “energy diplomacy” conducted under the administration of former President Lee Myung-bak.
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