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Korean Internet users are outraged at the National Assembly¡¯s refusal to agree to the arrest of seven of its members. The seven are Choi Don-woong, Park Jae-wook, Park Myung-whan, Park Joo-cheon, all of the Grand National Party (GNP), Lee Hun-pyung and Park Ju-sun of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) and Chyung Dai-chul of the Uri Party, who are wanted on charges of corruption and illegal political fundraising.
Internet users are criticizing National Assembly members for rejecting a bill that called for the arrest of the seven, slamming legislators for covering up the illegal activities of their fellow Assemblymen. The online forums of every media outlet in the country are being flooded with posts highly critical of the decision.
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A civic organization called ¡®The Power of People¡¯ demonstrates against the National Assembly¡¯s rejection arrest warrants for seven legislators.
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A reader of the Digital Chosun, Kang Bo-gyeong wrote that not long ago he watched a television debate program during which all three parties said they would pass the arrest bill, but when it came time to actually do it, they didn¡¯t. Ha Tae-jin posted a message saying that while the National Assembly claims it¡¯s not ¡°bulletproof,¡± they failed to make headway on the budget and other bills but were, strangely enough, only able to agree on rejecting the arrest bill. He also wrote that before it calls for the president to resign, the entire Nation Assembly should resign first. Kim Su-gon wrote that he knew all along that this would happen, and called on the citizens to pass their verdict in the upcoming general elections. Jeong Dong-geun said that he now understands what GNP chief Choe Byung-yul really meant -- that to save Choi Don-woong is to save the country.
In a poll taken at Donga.com, 1,048 people -- 83.64 percent of those who responded -- opposed the rejection of the arrest bill. On the Donga.com bulletin board, Lee Kang-seo wrote that there¡¯s no point in electing Assemblymen who don¡¯t do their jobs and just eat money and mess around. Half as many Assemblymen would be just as good, he added.
At the Joongang Ilbo¡¯s reader comments section at Joins.com, Pak Jin-u wrote that there are three branches of government in Korea -- the prosecutors have their job, and the legislators theirs -- but he can¡¯t understand why the National Assembly is being so stubborn. He also questioned whether the National Assembly respects the president and fears the people.
On the Web site of OhMyNews, one poster known as ¡°yeogeun¡± wrote that even a murderer wouldn¡¯t go to jail, provided he was a National Assemblyman. He advised the nation¡¯s jailbirds to become National Assemblymen. Another reader, going by handle of byeolggotbaram, went as far as to say that he¡¯d feel much better if, as some people whom he has met in taxis suggest, someone just blew up the whole National Assembly building in Yoido. Of course, all the legislators should be inside, he added.
At Daum.net, a member with the ID of ka8419 posts that words mean nothing, and that it was time to collect 30 million signatures calling for the ouster of thoughtless National Assembly members.
By Sung-ho Youn and Robert Koehler
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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