Pursuing Independent Counsel Investigation into Secret Transfer to Pyongyang

The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) on Feb. 4 has submitted to the National Assembly a bill calling for an independent counsel probe as the national prosecutors decided to defer its investigation into the allegations that President Kim Dae-jung had made a secret payment of 223.5 billion won to North Korea before a historic inter-Korean summit meeting in June 2000.

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) is scheduled to hold a plenary meeting to discuss countermeasures on Feb. 5. However, the investigation by an independent counsel is very likely as a group of lawmakers within the MDP are voicing the idea of an independent counsel probe and the opposition United Liberal Democrats also suggests their approval.

The GNP plans to pass the bill at an Assembly plenary session scheduled for Feb. 17. The GNP, which controls a majority of the parliamentary seats, and the MDP are scheduled to have a meeting between their floor leaders for negotiation. However, difficulties are expected over whether to have an independent counsel investigation and if so, the extent of inquiry.

In the independent counsel bill introduced to the National Assembly, the GNP stated that the allegations of Hyundai Merchant Marine, operating tours to the North, having transferred 400 billion won secretly to the communist country should be under investigation. Other cases which should be under the scrutiny of the independent counsel are suspicions surrounding former Hyundai Securities chairman Lee Ik-chi`s transfer of 550 million dollars to the North, which were raised by other Hyundai affiliates and the allegations of Hyundai Electronics having remitted to the North the proceeds from the sale of its semiconductor factory in Scotland between July and October 2000. The party also insisted that the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, the National Intelligence Service, and the Financial Supervisory Commission were involved.

At a senior members` meeting of the GNP, secretary general Kim Young-il said, "An independent counsel probe is inevitable to find out the truth because President Kim Dae-jung said it was `an act of ruling,` and then President-elect Roh Moo-hyun insisted on `political solution,` and now prosecutors decided to call off the investigation."

The amount of the money transfer to Pyongyang made secretly by the MDP around the inter-Korean summit meeting is forecast to reach 1 billion dollars, the GNP floor leader, Rhee Q-taek, argued, meeting reporters at the National Assembly.

The GNP`s special committee for the backroom dealing with the North convened on Feb. 4 and they decided to file complaints against Park Ji-won, presidential chief of staff, presidential special advisor Im Dong-won, and Kim Bo-hyun, senior official with the nation`s intelligence agency, who were key to the secret transfer case.

Talking with reporters, on the premise that the best and most ideal way to settle the case is without a National Assembly probe or an independent counsel investigation, Moon Hee-sang, President-elect Roh`s chief of staff, said "We never said that an independent counsel investigation should not be allowed, and we cannot but accept it when the Assembly passes the bill."

For his part, MDP secretary general Lee Sang-soo said, "First, floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties should work out ways to solve the issue wisely at parliamentary level, and Cheong Wa Dae should also lay bare what they know about it. If it is not solved in this way, then prosecutors` investigation will be better than a parliamentary probe, which could escalate into a political strife, and an independent counsel investigation is even better than the prosecution`s."

Meanwhile, in an interview with a radio station, MDP chairman Han Hwa-gap said, "An independent counsel probe should be approached carefully."

Yeon-Wook Jung Yong-Gwan Jung jyw11@donga.com yongari@donga.com