Parties to clash at audit sessions

By Kim Hyo-jin

Rival parties are expected to clash fiercely over key issues at government audit sessions in the National Assembly, which will resume today.

The ruling Saenuri Party decided Sunday to return to the audit, ending a week-long boycott protesting National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun allowing a vote on an opposition-backed motion calling for the agriculture minister to be sacked, Sept. 24.

To make up for the first five days, the three major parties agreed Sunday to extend the audit period by four more days to Oct. 19.

However, the outlook for normalization of the audit remains bleak as the parties still disagree over the neutrality of the Assembly speaker and other issues.

Opposition parties vow to grill government agencies over sensitive issues such as the Mir and K-sports Foundations and scandal-ridden presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo.

“We will closely look into corruption scandals involving the powerful,” said Ki Dong-min, a spokesman of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK).

Suspicions surrounding the Mir Foundation and the K-Sports Foundation will continue to be a hot-button issue in the audit.

The foundations became the center of controversy after opposition lawmakers revealed that the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) raised funds amounting to 80 billion won ($71.8 million) from conglomerates for the two bodies over the past year.

Opposition lawmakers alleged that senior presidential secretary for policy coordination An Chong-bum, a former chief secretary for economic affairs, exerted influence in the “fundraising.”

MPK lawmaker Noh Woong-rae disclosed Tuesday a recording of a businessman admitting that An pulled strings at the FKI and its lobbying arm told conglomerates how much money they should “donate.” On Friday Noh unveiled a conglomerate’s internal document noting that the establishment of the foundations was led by Cheong Wa Dae.

Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a deceased mentor to President Park Geun-hye and ex-wife of Park’s former close aide Jeong Yun-hoe, is allegedly involved in the management of the foundations.

Amid growing suspicions, the FKI announced Friday that it will dissolve the two foundations and merge them into a new one.

Opposition lawmakers plan to grill FKI Vice Chairman Lee Seung-cheol, defining the move as an attempt to remove evidence of President Park being involved.

Ruling party lawmakers are expected to label this as a smear campaign against Cheong Wa Dae.

Parties are expected to trade barbs over whether to call Woo to the audit session by the Assembly Steering Committee.

MPK Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae urged Monday that the ruling party cooperate in clearing out suspicions surrounding the presidential aide.

“The Saenuri Party has taken issue with the Assembly speaker as part of attempts to overshadow the Woo scandal but it should not continue to do so,” she said.

Woo is under investigation over multiple allegations, including asking online gaming company Nexon to buy real estate owned by his in-laws, helping his son get special treatment during military service and embezzling tens of millions of won from a family-run company, Jeonggang.

Partisan wrangling is also expected over whether an autopsy should be performed on the late Baek Nam-ki, a 69-year-old farmer who died Sept. 25 following 10 months in a coma after being knocked over by a police water cannon.

A court accepted a second request from police and prosecution for a warrant for an autopsy, Wednesday, causing severe backlash from Baek’s bereaved family, their supporters and civic activists. They raised suspicions that the authorities are seeking to find an alternate cause of death than that specified by doctors.

The MPK and the minor opposition People’s Party have criticized police for requesting a warrant.