Prosecution hit for biased handling of politicians

By Kim Hyo-jin

Rep. Kim Jin-tae

Opposition lawmakers criticized the prosecution Monday for using a double standard in indicting lawmakers suspected of Pulic Official Election Law violations.

At the center of controversy is Rep. Kim Jin-tae of the ruling Saenuri Party, who was not indicted even after the National Election Commission (NEC) reported him to the prosecution, claiming he spread false information during the general election earlier this year.

Kim sent text messages including false information to about 90,000 voters in March ahead of the April 13 elections. The message read that he fulfilled his pledges at the rate of 71.4 percent, ranking in the top three of politicians representing constituencies in Gangwon Province. It was later refuted by a civic group arguing that it was mere 4 percent. The NEC also concluded that the figure presented by Kim was not true.

“It is questionable how Kim was excluded from indictment,” Rep. Keum Tae-sup of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), said during a National Assembly audit session. “It’s hard to understand the prosecution’s standard as Park Young-sun, an MPK lawmaker, was indicted on the charge of spreading false information after she said she had contributed to reducing the number of students in a school class in her constituency to 25 in front of just 50 voters.”

On Oct. 13, the prosecution indicted MPK Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae and 21 other opposition lawmakers on charges of violating the Public Official Election Law during the April 13 general election while 11 Saenuri lawmakers were indicted.

An aide of National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun was also indicted on charges of premature electioneering. The speaker, originally from the MPK, has been at loggerheads with the ruling party over claims that he has taken side with the opposition bloc in parliamentary proceedings.