PM nominee on defensive

Prime Minister nominee Lee Wan-koo listens to questions from lawmakers with his eyes closed during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Tuesday. The hearing will continue until today. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-seok

By Yi Whan-woo

Prime Minister nominee Lee Wan-koo defended himself against allegations of moral lapses, Tuesday, though the opposition brought fresh evidence against him.

Lee, also a former floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, hinted at his influence peddling over media in an audio file disclosed by Rep. Kim Kyung-hyub of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD).

Lee stepped down from his floor leadership on Jan. 25 after President Park Geun-hye nominated him for the country’s No. 2 job.

“My relationship with reporters has been private for over decades,” Lee, 64, said in a voice file recorded by a group of journalists during their recent luncheon with Lee. One of the daily news reporters on the scene handed the file to Kim.

“I’ve been like a brother with you reporters and I even helped some of you get new jobs as professors and even presidents at universities,” he added.

Lee earlier apologized for attempting to exercise influence with media executives to prod them to pressure junior reporters to stop filing negative news stories about him.

Putting pressure on certain media outlets was just one of many allegations put forward against Lee.

Also under the microscope was Lee avoiding military service, his speculative real estate deals, receiving favors in getting a job as a university professor and also plagiarizing his doctoral thesis.

In the voice file, Lee said he will use his power to pass the pending bill on anti-corruption, claiming “a number of reporters will face the risk of corruption charges” if the National Assembly passes it.

Proposed by Kim Young-ran, a former Supreme Court justice and ex-head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the bill calls for those who receive cash or valuables worth more than 1 million won ($915) in bribes, even if they were not in exchange for favors, to face legal action. The bill mainly targets government officials, but journalists and private school teachers have also been mentioned.

“I’ve been defending you journalists who are used to getting a free lunch from the people,” Lee said. “But I will not do that anymore. And I can’t imagine seeing you shouting for help when you are grilled by the prosecution and police.”

Lee also faces pressure from the public to explain why his second son was given a military exemption, a practice that is illegal but none the less abused among influential professions such as politicians, bureaucrats and entrepreneurs. Detailed information of Lee’s son was not disclosed to the media to protect his privacy.

“I’m regretful that my son and I were not healthy enough to serve the country,” Lee said, adding that the exemptions were given legally.

Regarding his doctorate in administrative studies at Dankook University in 1994, Lee admitted his research style could be seen as unethical nowadays.

“I understand that strict rules are applied to academic plagiarism,” he said.

Lee also said he was hired as an assistant professor at Gyeonggi University in 1996 because the school recognized his expertise in criminal justice. He served as the commissioner at the North and South Chungheong provincial police agencies from 1993 to 1995. Lee faced allegations that his brother-in-law, who served as a personnel management official at the university, offered him a teaching post without going through the regular hiring process.

With regard to his property dealings, Lee, who served as governor of South Chungcheong Province, said he purchased an apartment at Tower Palace, a group of luxury residential skyscrapers in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, in 2003 for “residential purposes.”

It was suspected Lee, a South Chungcheong native, bought the apartment as part of land speculation.

“I bought it to live in with my family, and that was the only house I had at that time.”

Lee needs to win parliamentary endorsement as stipulated by the Constitution to take over the country’s second most powerful office.

The National Assembly decided to suspend the hearing following a dispute over the NPAD’s release of the audio file to the public.

The two-day hearing was initially scheduled to run through Thursday.

Lee also said he was hired as an assistant professor at Gyeonggi University in 1996 because the school recognized his expertise in criminal justice. He served as the commissioner at the North and South Chungcheong provincial police agencies from 1993 to 1995. Lee faced allegations that his brother-in-law, who served as a personnel management official at the university, offered him a teaching post without going through the regular hiring process.

The two-day hearing will run through Thursday.