Tension rises over Assembly bid to oust the law minister

Political tension mounted Friday over the proposed dismissal of Justice Minister Kim Jung-kil.

The Millennium Democratic Party called the proposed ouster a ploy by the opposition Grand National Party. MDP lawmakers said they will stop the vote from taking place by the Saturday deadline.

The GNP, which holds a majority in the Assembly, wants to force a vote. Suh Chung-won, the GNP chairman, said the incumbent justice minister must be dismissed in order to organize a politically neutral cabinet for the presidential election. The GNP believes that the minister is trying to discredit its presidential candidate, Lee Hoi-chang, by dragging out an investigation into alleged draft-dodging by his sons.

"We will put the proposal to a vote on Saturday," said Mr. Suh. "It we fail, we will re-submit the proposal." Mr. Suh said with the election only four months off the party would not survive if they do not "teach the MDP a lesson."

Kim Young-iel, the GNP's secretary-general, stressed that dismissing the justice minister would lay a foundation for a politically neutral prosecution.

To prevent the GNP from passing the dismissal proposal, the MDP lawmakers said they will bar Park Kwan-yong, the speaker of the Assembly, from entering the hall to submit the proposal.

The MDP accused the opposition party of holding the Assembly hostage. "The GNP acts as if they have conquered the world after winning the majority," said Chung Kyun-hwan, the MDP floor leader.

Some 100 Millennium Democrats and their aides are guarding the entrance of the Assembly hall to prevent the GNP lawmakers from entering. They said they will stay at the doors until 2:35 p.m. Saturday, the deadline for submitting the proposal for a vote. Female lawmakers, including Choi Young-hee and Cho Bae-sook, who do not normally get involved in physical confrontations at the Assembly, have joined their fellow Millennium Democrats guarding the doors.

GNP floor leader Rhee Q-taek and his MDP counterpart, Chung Kyun-hwan, met Friday afternoon to discuss a compromise, but failed to reach an agreement.

by Choi Hoon, Rah Hyun-cheol