Head of Ruling Party Vows to Fight Crooks

Pledging to restore morality and accountability to Korea, the chairman of the ruling party promised Friday that there would be a crackdown on corrupt officials.

Speaking at the National Assembly's plenary session, Suh Young-hoon, the chairman of the Millennium Democratic Party, called on the judiciary to deal sternly with those found guilty of corruption, "regardless of position."

Mr. Suh made the remarks in reference to the latest illegal loan and bribery scandal that has embroiled Dongbang Mutual Savings and Finance and the now-defunct high-tech firm Korea Digital Line.

Top officials at Korea's financial watchdog, the Financial Supervisory Service, have recently been implicated in the scandal.

Mr. Suh also vowed to hold the owners of Korea's debt-ridden conglomerates accountable for their "mismanagement" of the firms by seeking to make personally responsible for the debts.

Mr. Suh said that the current economic downturn, the social instability over medical reform and the bribery scandal were just part of the "trial and pain that accompanies change," an assessment that differed greatly from that of his opposition counterpart, Lee Hoi-chang of the Grand National Party.

Speaking to the assembly Thursday, Mr. Lee had called the current problems a "national crisis," and called for the resignation of the entire cabinet.

But Mr. Suh apologized for the current state of affairs.

"His apology was meant to soften the public sentiment in the wake of the series of scandals which have surfaced recently," said a top ruling-party official, who requested anonymity.

by Lee Yang-soo