By Jun Ji-hye
A power struggle is emerging within the ruling Saenuri Party because a faction with ties to former President Lee Myung-bak are telling President Park Geun-hye and her supporters to accept a demand from the opposition for a special counsel to investigate the “memogate” scandal.
Rep. Lee Jae-oh, de facto leader of Lee supporters, said Wednesday, “Documents, which were no better than tabloid gossip, were leaked from Cheong Wa Dae, causing enormous chaos in society. No one is taking responsibility for this.”
The five-term lawmaker said that presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon should be among those held responsible. .
The pro-Lee faction is trying to make the most of public opinion that the findings of prosecutors, which concluded the scandals were based on fabricated rumors, were not enough to quell many unanswered questions.
The scandal centered on leaked memoranda from Cheong Wa Dae that suggested there was a power struggle involving Park’s younger brother, Ji-man, and a former confidant, Jeong Yun-hoe.
Lee’s followers began to increase their attacks on President Park after the governing party agreed with the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) last month to conduct a parliamentary investigation into the allegedly bungled “resources diplomacy” of the Lee government.
The Lee administration has been accused of spending tens of billions of dollars on various natural resources development projects overseas with few results.
The Lee faction became more furious after Park invited seven senior lawmakers who are close to her, including Rep. Suh Chung-won, to Cheong Wa Dae for a “secret dinner” at the end of last month.
Rep. Lee said, “The government party should now accept the NPAD demand for a special prosecutor.”
Rep. Cho Hae-jin, one of the loyalists of former President Lee, claimed Thursday that the memogate scandal proved that discipline among Cheong Wa Dae staffers was messy.
“Apart from the prosecution’s findings, those who directly or indirectly offered the cause of the scandal need to take responsibility,” Cho said.
He also argued that a parliamentary investigation into the scandal seems to be more appropriate, rather than appointing a special prosecutor, to completely remove the concerns of the people.
Regarding the planned Assembly probe into Lee’s resources diplomacy, Cho said, “The decision was just arrogant and irresponsible. It was no different from political tyranny.”
Bae Jong-chan, chief director at political pollster Research and Research, said the pro-Lee faction’s ratcheting up of criticism against Park basically resulted from disappointment about their exclusion from key government positions.
“They seem to believe that, by conducting a parliamentary probe into Lee’s key policy, President Park is attempting to make the former President and his supporters scapegoats to escape the crises facing her government,” said Bae. “Their latest moves can also be seen as efforts to distinguish themselves from the pro-Park faction ahead of 2016 general elections.”
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