Draft-dodging scandal a 'conspiracy'

The Grand National Party renewed its cries of foul on Friday after newspaper reports bolstered accusations that the Millennium Democratic Party planned draft-dodging allegations and faked evidence against the party's presidential candidate.

The Kukmin Ilbo published a report Friday that claimed the MDP wrote "Kim Dae-eop Interview Report: Proposals Regarding Kim Dae-eop," a strategy for maximizing the impact of the draft-dodging allegations, in August, before Kim Dae-eop ever went public with his accusations.

Kim Dae-eop, a former military hospital official who was the one to claim the GNP candidate's son improperly avoided his military service, and the GNP have filed libel suits against each other over the issue.

The proposals included a suggestion that the chief prosecutor of the Seoul District Prosecutors Office be replaced with someone who would protect the prosecutor who is leading the ongoing investigation into the draft-dodging allegations. The chief prosecutor at the time was reportedly opposed to the investigation.

The document also allegedly said that there should be National Assembly hearings, and that the investigation should not conclude before October, to ensure the party would be unable to dump their candidate and replace him with the popular Chung Mong-joon, independent lawmaker and tycoon.

"The chief Seoul prosecutors office was replaced and the length of the investigation was lengthened, just as the report said," said Hwang Woo-yea, a GNP lawmaker.

Kim Young-iel, the GNP secretary-general, also used the report to assert that draft-dodging charges has been fabricated. "The situation closely resembles the report that was made in early August, which proves that civic groups, prosecutors and Kim Dae-eop conspired together," he said.

The Kukmin Ilbo said that the GNP report was written by a party associate, but MDP spokesman Lee Nak-yon denied that such a report exists. "There is no basis to say that the report was filed by an assistant of a MDP lawmaker," said Mr. Lee, adding that he believed the source of the document was odd.

The Kukmin Ilbo stuck by its story, but refused to reveal further information about the source in order to protect him.

The Ministry of Justice and the prosecutors office also denied the allegations.

by Choi Hoon, Seo Seung-wook