Hearings Full of Controversy

The National Assembly began its inspection into government ministries and their subsidiaries on Thursday. The hearings are to last until Nov. 7. Representative Kim Jin-jae of the main opposition Grand National Party asserted at the Science and Technology Committee hearing that the government has engaged in illegal wiretapping.

"Law enforcement agencies illegally acquired 3,494 secret codes on mobile phones when they acquired the content of stored messages on the phones for the past two and a half years," said Mr. Kim. He added that he has evidence that the government illegally read people's e-mail messages between 1998 and 1999.

At a hearing on activities of the Inchon International Airport Corporation, Representative Lee Hyup of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party asked company officials whether the contracting process for projects at the unfinished airport was fair and whether there was any danger of shoddy construction since the corporation moved up its projected opening date.

Prime Minister Lee Han-dong, who heads the minor opposition United Liberal Democrats, was grilled by members of the main opposition at the National Policy Committee. They charged he is interested in pleasing the president rather than serving the people.

by Park Sung-woo