Parties spar over Lee scandal, villa fuss

The ruling and opposition camps on Wednesday took turns lambasting one another over recent sore spots.

The main opposition Grand National Party demanded an apology from President Kim Dae-jung for the alleged wrongdoing of Lee Soo-dong; and the ruling Millennium Democratic Party again questioned how the main opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang and his family afford their luxurious lifestyle.

"The independent counsel investigation shows that Lee Soo-dong influenced appointments of prosecutors, as well as police, government and cultural sector officials," said Lee Kang-too, the opposition party's chief policymaker.

The independent counsel looking into the financial corruption case of Lee Yong-ho found Lee Soo-dong, former executive director of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation for the Asia-Pacific Region, received a bribe from Lee Yong-ho and may have meddled in government appointments.

Lee Soo-dong is one of the five core members of the Donggyo-dong faction, a political network loyal to the president since his days as an opposition leader.

The opposition party also demanded that the president's second son, Hong-up, give up the vice chairmanship of the peace foundation.

In response, the ruling Millennium Democratic Party launched an offensive against the opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang. The party's spokesman, Lee Nak-yon, again implied that Mr. Lee's Gahoe-dong home is paid for by illicit funds. The party's vice spokesman, Jang Jeon-hyeong, asked how Mr. Lee's eldest son, Jeong-yeon, can afford to live in the United States when he is an unpaid researcher.

by Ko Jung-ae