Park called to testify at PM-designate hearing

The ruling and opposition parties agreed yesterday to summon Park Yeon-cha, the convicted former head of Taekwang Industrial, to testify at the confirmation hearing for Prime Minister-designate Kim Tae-ho about the allegation that Park had bribed the former South Gyeongsang governor.

The National Assembly will have confirmation hearings next Tuesday and Wednesday. Kim was nominated by President Lee Myung-bak last week to replace former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan.

The opposition Democratic Party vowed to bring up the bribery allegations at the confirmation hearing.

The Grand National Party said yesterday that it has accepted the DP’s demands, because it did not want to cause any misunderstanding by rejecting the request.

Kim, who served as South Gyeongsang governor from 2004 until early this year, was implicated in last year’s sweeping political bribery scandal involving Park.

He was accused of receiving tens of thousands of dollars from Park in April 2007, and the prosecution suspected that the delivery of the bribe money took place at a Korean restaurant in New York City.

Kim rejected the accusation and prosecutors did not press charges, saying there was insufficient evidence to file an indictment against Kim.

The owner of the New York restaurant will be summoned to testify at the hearing, along with senior prosecution officials

By Ser Myo-ja [myoja@joongang.co.kr]