Partisan Jousting

Key Figures Threaten to Avoid Hearings

The ruling and opposition parties squared off over the identification of four politicians closely aligned with the Kim Dae-jung administration by an opposition lawmaker during a parliamentary session. The dispute seems headed for showdown, as the ruling Millennium Democratic party said on Sunday that it will take parliamentary group action against the lawmaker.

The ruling party also said that it will file a formal parliamentary complaint with the prosecution against Rep. Lee Ju-young for identifying the individuals without substantiation.

Having formed an ad hoc committee to stop the Grand National Party's political maneuvering, the ruling party said that it will formally ask that Lee Man-sup, speaker of the House, to support its initiative.

In response, the opposition Grand National Party held a press conference Sunday, announcing that they have identified the list of 653 investors in the six private funds set up by a key figure in the latest illegal loan and bribery scandal. With the release of the list, the opposition party declared that the names of the ruling party officials can be identified.

Rep. Lee Bu-young, vice president of the opposition party, said during a Sunday press conference that his party obtained the list of 653 investors in six of the private funds operated by Mr. Chung.

The National Assembly's National Policy Committee is scheduled to look into the illegal loan and bribery scandal on Monday. The committee has called Chung Hyun-joo, president of Korea Digital Line and Lee Kyung-ja, vice chairperson of Dongbang Mutual Savings and Finance, as witnesses. The two are key figures in the illegal loan and bribery scandal that has also implicated top officials of the nation's Financial Supervisory Service.

The prosecution investigation disclosed that Mr. Chung set up private funds in which individuals closely allied with the Kim Dae-jung administration allegedly invested.

Mr. Chung and Mrs. Lee have indicated that they will not appear at the hearing, minimizing the prospect of getting at the truth.

After the hearings end on Tuesday, the parliament has the option of calling a parliamentary inspection to look into the case.

by Kim Ji-soo