Aides told to stop all politicking

The government said Friday that it will carry out a broad and intensive crackdown on end-of-tenure politicking by government officials, such as handing over official documents or supporting specific political candidates during the December presidential election.

Kim Ho-sik, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, made the announcement after a ruling party meeting with senior administration officials at the Millennium Democratic Party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.

"A special audit team will crack down on officials leaking important government information for personal or political reasons to politicians or others from the same region or school, and those who group behind a candidate," Mr. Kim said.

Also at the meeting were ruling party Chairman Han Kwang-ok, Prime Minister Lee Han-dong and the two deputy prime ministers.

End-of-term politicking has been a common practice among Korea's technocrats seeking better jobs in the succeeding administration.

An anti-corruption committee led by the prime minister announced after a separate meeting that it will conduct an across-the-board crackdown on corruption.

The committee will reportedly focus on illegal stock transactions between officials and entrepreneurs. President Kim on Wednesday made that crackdown the first item in the anti-corruption campaign he announced during his first news conference of 2002.

Justice Minister Choi Kyung-won emphasized the government's seriousness about squelching corruption Friday.

"The government will put in place a joint working-level council of investigative authorities, and set up a standing cooperative network among the National Police Agency, the National Tax Service, the Customs Service, the Financial Supervisory Commission and the Fair Trade Commission," Mr. Choi said.

by Kim Chong-hyuk