The Grand National Party presented a request for a National Assembly investigation into 13 central figures of the ruling camp including relatives of President Kim Dae-jung, Monday. In addition, the opposition will submit a bid for a new special prosecutor to probe issues related to them by the end of the week. The GNP said the investigations were necessary as the state prosecution was ignoring the scandals created by the wrongdoings of the people involved.
The 13 listed were the three sons of President Kim; Hong-il, Hong-up and Hong-gul; his brother-in-law, Yoon Heung-ryul; his nephew-in-law, Lee Hyung-taek; Kim Hong-il's cousin, Cha Chang-shik; Lee Su-dong, former director of President Kim's peace foundation; ex Assemblyman, Kwon Rho-kap; special presidential adviser, Park Jie-won; former prosecutor general Shin Seung-nam; ex NTS head Ahn Jeong-nam; sports group manager, Chung Hak-mo; and Cho Pung-eon, an arms dealer.
GNP Secretary General Lee Sang-duk said the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation for the Asia Pacific Region was at the center of most of the corruption scandals and had plotted to control the media and win the next presidential election. Floor Leader Lee Jae-oh added the party had evidence that the foundation had intervened into the tax investigation of the media and in appointments at the military and police. Lee said considering the relations between Lee Su-dong and Ahn Jeong-nam there were indications the foundation had a major role in the media tax probe.
Chu Jae-yop, a GNP deputy spokeswoman called on the president to remove his son from the foundation's directorship, sever ties with it, and for a tax investigation into its finances.
In related news, United Liberal Democrat Spokesman Chung Jin-sop said rumors that the foundation was a second Chong Wa Dae and the president's private intelligence organization were appearing to be true.
(Yoon Jeong-ho, jhyoon@chosun.com)
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