MDP Lawmakers Demand Resignation of Culture Minister Park

At a closed-door meeting of the Millenium Democratic Party(MDP) today, lawmakers deplored the political crisis that their party finds itself in and called for the resignation of Culture and Tourism Minister Park Jie-won, who has been implicated in the Hanvit Bank loan scandal.

Rep. Cho Soon-hyung and others called for Minister Park's voluntary resignation saying, "We need to deal straightforwardly with the growing public suspicion if we are to regain their support. Even if Minister Park was within the law, he should resign if his actions were morally questionable."

Other lawmakers said that the ruling party should accept the opposition demand that a special prosecutor who is free of political loyalties be appointed. They added that only through a thorough investigation into the loan scandal can the ruling party regain public support and reopen the National Assembly.

Others blamed the party leadership for failing to come up with viable plans to deal with the current political crisis at the workshop held yesterday. Rep. Song Hoon-seok called for the resignation of the party leadership saying a new leadership was needed to rescue the party from the current political quagmire. Rep. Cho Soon-hyung suggested that the special police unit, Sajikdong Team, that receives direct orders from Chong Wa Dae be reintegrated with the National Police headquarters.

by Lee Jung-min