Rival Parties Continue to Bicker over Draft-Dodging Investigations

Bickering between the nation's ruling and opposition political camps over the prosecution's investigations of draft dodging is escalating to involve even the current and former Presidents.
The ruling Millenium Democratic Party (MDP) denounced former President Kim Young-sam and opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang Wednesday for the second consecutive day. The ruling party took issue with former President Kim's urging Hong Sa-duk, main opposition Grand National Party (GNP)'s chief campaign strategist, not to comply with the draft-dodging investigations.
MDP spokesman Chung Dong-young attacked them both by saying, "Former President Kim was the main culprit behind the North Korea scandal during the 1996 general elections, and Lee Hoi-chang took advantage of escalating tension between both Koreas during the 15th presidential elections."
Chung went on to say that Lee still has not clearly explained why his two sons failed to fulfill their military service, and that former President Kim's two sons did not serve on active duty either. He also charged, "Lee Hoi-chang's oldest son had promised to do volunteer work on Sorokdo Island for two years to make up for his draft dodging, but actually only worked for only three or four months."
The main opposition GNP also continued to issue threats and criticisms against the ruling party for the second day. Lee Won-chang, a spokesman at the GNP's election camp, said, "If the prosecution continues to push ahead with the investigations, we will disclose suspicions of draft dodging by the sons of the ruling party's top leadership, including President Kim Dae-jung, the MDP's chief campaign official Rhee In-je, Representative Cho Se-hyung, and National Assembly Vice Speaker Kim Bong-ho."
He also stated that there are no clear records to back up President Kim's claim of having served in the military during the Korean War. He also warned, "If the investigations continue, we will announce the list of ministers and vice ministers, as well as 35 candidates and incumbent representatives of the MDP whose sons are suspected to be draft dodgers."
Meanwhile, the minor opposition United Liberal Democrats (ULD) defended GNP's position by saying that the current investigations appear to be a strategic move by the ruling camp in preparation for the upcoming general elections. On the other hand, another opposition Democratic People's Party's (DDP) spokesman Kim Chol criticized both the ruling party and the main opposition GNP by saying, "Conducting investigations into the alleged draft dodgers just before the elections is clearly a strategic move, but Lee Hoi-chang symbolizes the draft-dodging issue."

by Lee Yang-soo