Koreas summit a secret
The Korea Herald, Asia News Network, Seoul
The allegation came at a most unwelcome time in view of the revitalized dialog between the two Koreas as well as Pyongyang and Tokyo, not to mention the planned visit by a U.S. delegation to the North Korean capital this week.
When hopes are finally being rekindled for the brittle inter- Korean peace process to pick up after a long impasse, renewed suspicion about an unsavory deal for the historic South-North summit two years ago is among the last things to be desired -- particularly for the beleaguered administration of President Kim Dae-jung.
Opposition lawmakers have nevertheless insisted that the state-owned Korea Development Bank gave US$400 million to Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. shortly before the June 2000 summit, and the company secretly "donated" the money in turn to the North Korean government.
Though lacking substantive evidence to support their explosive disclosure so far, the opposition lawmakers further claimed the summit was delayed by one day due to problems that arose in the process of wiring the money to North Korean accounts through a third country.
The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) may be giddy over obtaining fresh ammunition for its already well-positioned presidential campaign. The allegation, if proven to be true, could serve as a magic stone to knock out two birds set to challenge the party's chances in the Dec. 19 election -- Roh Moo- hyun of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), a committed heir to President Kim's engagement policy with North Korea; and independent lawmaker Chung Mong-joon, son of Chung Ju-yung, the late founder of the Hyundai Group.
Both the presidential office and the pro-government MDP immediately rebuked the opposition party for making an "absurd and groundless allegation about a critical national issue for election-time gains." Hyundai also brushed the charge aside, saying the money was spent to pay debts and rents for ships.
Unfortunately, however, such a cursory explanation cannot remove doubts about the business unit's huge loans from the same bank before and after the summit. In the meantime, the opposition lawmakers warn they have more facts to back up their contention.
To many voters, the heightened partisan antagonism represents another political quagmire in an already chaotic election year. This is the least desirable turn of events when the people are bitterly cynical about confrontation between the two rival parties over a long-standing scandal about alleged draft dodging by GNP candidate Lee's sons.
At this frustrating juncture, what the people want is a fast and accurate investigation to establish the truth, not another endless exchange of verbal offensives toward the single-minded goal of winning the presidency.
President Kim and his North Korea policymakers must launch an early investigation to prove the legitimacy of the Korean peace process they have initiated. This is the only way to salvage the crown achievement of this administration after a string of influence-peddling and corruption scandals involving Kim's family and close associates. By so doing, Kim would be able to lay a more solid foundation for inter-Korean reconciliation -- the role expected of him as a Nobel Peace Prize winner.