hankyoreh

June 1.

A Grand National Party (GNP) special committee on political reform chaired by Rep. Won Hee-ryong called on President Lee Myung-bak to issue a statement to address people’s grief. Won also demanded a shakeup in the Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) and government personnel in order to cope with a decrease in support for the GNP since the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun.

At a plenary session Monday morning, committee members said the current situation was very grave and that the party needed to properly recognize the crisis as a crisis. Concerning the death of President Roh, it recommended President Lee issue a statement to console the people and offer a message of reconciliation. It also demanded personnel reform in the government and the Cheong Wa Dae. Won plans to visit the Cheong Wa Dae as early as Tuesday in order to convey the recommendations directly to the president.

When asked by a reporter whether the scope of the personnel changes demanded included the resignation of the entire cabinet, GNP Special Committee Spokesperson Kim Sun-dong confirmed that it included that nuance, hinting that the committee planned to virtually demand the general resignation of Lee‘s cabinet.

The committee also decided to weigh the resignation of the entire GNP leadership, including Chairman Park Hee-tae. The committee plans to make a final decision in their meeting on Tuesday on whether to demand only Park’s resignation or to call for the resignation of the entire leadership, which would require holding a party convention.

Furthermore, the committee decided to consider improving the practice of prosecutor briefings that announce facts about the accused, eliminating the Central Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors‘ Office or establishing a permanent special prosecutor, improving the command system of the senior presidential secretary for civic affairs, and establishing an oversight committee that includes opposition and civic groups in order to ensure the fairness of prosecutors’ investigations.

Controversies are expected as some members of the committee reportedly expressed the view that President Lee should express more than regret about the death of President Roh, and also suggested that Lee Sang-deuk, the president‘s older brother and former vice speaker of the National Assembly, should also be included as a target of reform.

GNP Chairman Park said he has yet to hear an official report concerning the demand for his or the leadership’s resignation, and that he had nothing yet to say about what he might do about the matter.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]