Opposition Sues to Oust Anti-Trust Agency Chief

The opposition Grand National Party filed a suit on Thursday against Chairman Lee Nam-kee of the Fair Trade Commission seeking to oust the anti-trust agency's chief for extending his term in office, despite a law barring him from doing so.

The party also asked the court to suspend Mr. Lee from office until the case is over.

"Chairman Lee has been in office for nearly eight years, exceeding the legal six-year term listed under the old law on fair trade," the party's suit charges. "President Kim Dae-jung's reappointment of Mr. Lee in August 2000 thus violates the law." The law on fair trade was revised on April 1 last year.

The party said its decision to take legal action against the anti-trust agency was prompted by the recent decision to revive government regulations governing newspaper distribution and advertising.

Critics charge that the regulations are the latest government attempt to control the press.

In a related development, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday suspended publication of the Daily Naeil for three months for not having a proper lease contract for its printing press.

The opposition party's vice spokesman, Chang Kwang-keun, issued a statement saying "The action raises the suspicion that the current administration is indeed attempting to rein in press outlets that are critical toward it."

The party also held an emergency meeting about a segment of a major network's prime time news on Wednesday.

The Munwha Broadcasting Corporation aired a critical piece about opposition party members publicly criticizing major networks, which the opposition says act as "mouthpieces of the Kim Dae-jung administration."

In protest, the party formally requested an emergency meeting of the National Assembly's Culture and Tourism Committee. The opposition wants to call Kim Yong-woon, head of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, to testify on the accuracy of the segment.

by Seo Seung-wook