President's 'Slush Funds' Under Fire

Partisan bickering continued to mount Wednesday over spy agency funds allegedly funneled to the party that ruled Korea in 1996 and that is now the opposition bloc called the Grand National Party.

It took to the streets to demand a prosecution investigation into what the party calls President Kim Dae-jung's "slush funds," estimated at 100 billion won ($80 million).

"The investigation into President Kim Dae-jung's 100 billion-won worth of slush funds in early 1998 was stopped for no reason. As the ruling party has dragged out the investigation into President Kim's slush funds due to political motivations, the prosecution must look into the matter," said Rep. Ha Soon-bong. He heads the opposition party's special committee to counter the political crisis over the funding charges.

The opposition leader, Lee Hoi-chang, spoke in Suwon, Kyonggi Province, at an outdoor gathering dubbed "a rally to denounce the new tyranny of President Kim Dae-jung."

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party implored the opposition to stop the street rallies. It also boycotted the National Assembly extra session on the grounds that it provides parliamentary privileges to an opposition representative, Kang Sam-jae.

He has defied the prosecution's call to appear for questioning over his role in managing funds for the New Korea Party in the 1996 general election.

The opposition's secretary-general, Rep. Kim Ki-bae, called a news conference where he went over in detail the president's alleged slush funds. Rep. Kim alleged that the president has at least 67 billion won hidden in 365 accounts borrowed from friends and relatives.

by Kim Ji-soo