Ruling party at odds after Roh, GNP share North probe stance

Rancor in the governing Millennium Democratic Party is deepening, in particular over Thursday night’s agreement between President Roh Moo-hyun and the opposition Grand National Party reached at Cheongnamdae. The two parties agreed on several changes to the authority of the independent counsel to investigate the cash-for-summit allegations.
But the old leadership in the party ― close political affiliates of former President Kim Dae-jung ― saw no agreement, as the opposition Grand National Party stood by its bid to allow the independent counsel to investigate Hyundai’s sending cash to North Korea.
The opposition-drafted and president-proclaimed act bears the title, “Seeking Truth on the Suspicion of Secret Funneling of Money to North Korea in Linkage to the Inter-Korean Summit,” making it seem inevitable that the query will trace in some part to former President Kim Dae-jung.
The old leadership, known as the Donggyo-dong faction, is surmising that the title, in addition to implicating the former president, may whitewash the significance of the summit that took place between Kim Dae-jung and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il. Kim Dae-jung won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 in relation to the summit.
Old guards in the party laid blame on the president. “The president brought about the situation because he proclaimed the act when there was no definitive agreement reached between the two parties,” said Representative Chung Kyun-hwan, a Donggyo-dong member and the party’s current floor leader.
New leadership of the party, led by Party Chairman Chyung Dai-chul, attributed the lack in agreement to the opposition. “The Grand Nationals’ stance goes against the politics of cooperation,” said Mr. Chung.
Mr. Roh authorized the independent counsel, whose team began work Thursday, on March 14 after word that the two political parties reached agreement on revisions to the bill.

by Lee Sang-il