NIS scandal unnerves political circle
At least 6 lawmakers under suspicions of money accepting
By Kim Hyo-jin
The nation may face another massive bribery scandal, with suspicions top policymakers and lawmakers received illicit funds from the spy agency during the 2013-17 Park Geun-hye administration.
Although National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Suh Hoon said there were no records of such bribery Thursday, tension is still growing in political parties, both ruling and opposition, as the prosecution expands its investigation.
After three former NIS heads during the Park government admitted they offered part of their “special activity fund” to Cheong Wa Dae under Park’s orders, news reports said the NIS had provided money to three ruling party lawmakers and two opposition lawmakers.
The reports stated each of them received millions of won each time on about 10 occasions from 2015 to 2016. Rumors are circulating that more lawmakers are involved in the scandal. The money was reportedly offered during business trips overseas or during National Assembly audits of government offices.
Part of the NIS budget was spent under the name of “special activity funds,” and the agency does not need to report or clarify what it spends this money on because it is supposed to be used for classified activities and investigations. Other inspection agencies that manage such funds include the prosecution, the police, the Board of Audit and Inspection and the defense and justice ministries.
Regarding the allegation, Suh said in an Assembly session Thursday he had no records how the money was spent. Later in the day, though, the prosecution said it was investigating Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), a Park loyalist, based on testimony from former NIS director Lee Byung-kee.
Lee said the spy agency gave Choi 100 million won ($91,000) in cash in 2014 while he served as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister of strategy and finance, in return for his influence because the finance ministry was planning to reduce the NIS special activity fund.
Choi’s alleged involvement is leading to speculation among lawmakers the bribery scandal could reach even farther.
The LKP has relentlessly claimed the Moon Jae-in government is conducting a “purge” of its political rivals.
Its chairman Hong Joon-pyo denounced the prosecution, saying it is merely seeking the government’s interest.
“The prosecution, once a symbol of justice, is now being pushed to act as a puppet for the leftist government,” he wrote on Facebook. “It concerns me that the prosecutorial organization could collapse due to short-sighted prosecutors currying favor with the new administration.”
Rep. Park Jie-won, former leader of the minor opposition People’s Party, also voiced his concerns. “The country is turning into a state of inspection on comprehensive corruption scandals following investigation of Park loyalists’ disruption of state management and the NIS’s malicious comments about liberal politicians,” he said on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) focused its offensive against Park and her loyalists, demanding the ousted former president unveil the truth of the scandal.
“Former NIS head Lee Byung-ho confessed Park made an order, and Cheong Wa Dae senior secretaries Ahn Bong-geun and Lee Jae-man said they delivered the NIS funds to Park. This is why she should speak up herself,” DPK spokeswoman Rep. Je Youn-kyung said Sunday.
Je noted that Park, when serving as the chairwoman of the Grand National Party, a predecessor of the LKP, criticized the NIS for lacking transparency on budget spending and called for enhanced monitoring of the process.
“Taking responsibility for what she said 10 years ago, she should explain how the people’s tax money, meaning the NIS’s special activity fund, had been spent,” she said.