Bribery Scandal Rocks National Assembly

By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter Politicians from both sides of the political divide are showing increased signs of nervousness as the prosecution hones in on lawmakers and government officials who accepted bribes from Park Yeon-cha, the CEO of Busan-based shoe-maker Taekwang and a major backer of former President Roh Moo-hyun. Rep. Lee Kwang-jae of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), often called the ``right-hand man'' of Roh, was arrested March 26 on charges of pocketing more than $130,000 from Park between 2004 and 2008. Later, he expressed his intention to give up his Assembly seat and retire from politics, saying he had hoped to be investigated without physical detention. Another DP legislator, Seo Gap-won, the party's deputy floor leader, also went through 12 hours of questioning Sunday on suspicions of receiving tens of thousands of dollars from the businessman. The prosecution plans to summon him again today. Seo is also known as a close confidant of former President Roh. A two-term DP lawmaker said on condition of anonymity that his fellow lawmakers initially assumed the investigation targeted DP members but ``were now puzzled over where the prosecution was pointing its sword.'' Some prosecutors have said nobody knows when and where the investigation will end ― an official said the probe was likely to last until May or June. As the April 29 by-elections approach, political parties are taking note of who will be summoned for questioning next. The by-elections, with five Assembly seats up for grabs, are considered a barometer of public sentiment. Earlier, prosecutors arrested two former senior officials of the Roh administration on charges of taking bribes from Park ― Chang In-tae, former vice minister of public administration, and Park Jung-kyu, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. Chang allegedly took 800 million won ($587,250) in illegal political funds, while Park took prepaid gift tokens worth 100 million won. Prosecutors are enlarging the scope of their investigation after Rep. Park Jin of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) was summoned to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office March 27 over the allegation that he also took tens of thousands of dollars from the scandal-ridden CEO. The lawmaker, who serves as chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee, denied the charges, saying, ``Reports are groundless. It's defamation.'' ksy@koreatimes.co.kr