GNP vows to push new copy of old bill

Representative Lee Kang-too, chief policymaker of the main opposition Grand National Party, said Thursday the party will push to legislate the "Anti-Political Retaliation Act."

"Lee Hoi-chang said in his New Year's address the act is necessary to break the vicious cycle of political revenge," he said, referring to the opposition leader.

The bill establishes a 10-member committee to look into allegations of political retaliation, which it defines as any criminal or civil investigation, tax and financial audit, denial of financial assistance or disadvantage in promotion because of one's support of a different political ideology, membership in a different political party or support for a certain political party.

A special prosecutor would then look into the case and those found guilty charged a maximum 20 million won ($15,000) fine or a prison term of three years or less.

Skeptics within the legal community said defining political retaliation would be difficult. They also noted a possibility of unconstitutionality in giving a special committee, not the legislative branch, the power to determine whether the case constitutes political retaliation. At a public hearing on the issue in September 2001, experts generally agreed that politically motivated retaliation would be better dealt with by the National Assembly's ethics regulations.

President Kim Dae-jung endorsed a similar bill in September 1997 as an opposition leader, proposing banning political retaliation, nepotism in government and political appointments and regional-based discrimination. The bill never materialized into legislation as the then-ruling New Korea Party voted it down.

by Lee Sang-il