Fighting Stymies Bailout Dabate

Partisan squabbling choked off parliamentary hearings Tuesday
over allocating 110-trillion won ($85.7 billion) in the first package of public money appropriated for the overhaul of distressed financial institutions and ailing companies.

Ruling and opposition lawmakers on Tuesday fought over how to
question witnesses. The ruling party wants to call individuals; the opposition prefers group testimony.

"The principle of parliamentary hearings is to question the witnesses individually," Rep. Kang Un-tae, of the ruling New Millenium Democ-ratic Party said Opposition lawmakers want groups of witnesses to allow for cross-questioning.

"The witnesses for the hearings into the illegal loan scandal
appeared together," said opposition members Rep. Lee Sung-hun,
adding that the ruling party "is attempting to protect the bank pres-idents, and former and sitting ministers."

Not one question was asked at Tuesday's parliamentary session.

On Friday, two former finance and economy ministers, Kang Bong-kyun and Lee Hun-jai and the current minister, Jin Nyum are scheduled to appear. The 110 trillion won in public money had been pumped in to prop up the inefficient financial institutions and companies after the 1997 economic crisis.

Government officials had said the money was an sufficient, but
late last year, they asked for another round of 40 trillion won.

by Lee Sang-ryeul