|
Problems are brewing, as Cheong Wa Dae¡¯s civil affairs division is investigating statements made by officials from the Foreign Ministry¡¯s North American Affairs desk criticizing Cheong Wa Dae¡¯s handling of foreign affairs. Opposition party members have criticized the move as ¡°dictatorial.¡±
Not only does is the civil affair division investigating statements made by the ministry officials, which went beyond criticizing Cheong Wa Dae¡¯s handling of the Yongsan Garrison relocation, the Iraq deployment, and other specific policies and made an issue of the administration¡¯s entire understanding of policy toward the United States, but it is also looking into recent reporting on foreign policy made by certain media outlets.
On Monday, Cheong Wa Dae spokeman Yoon Tai-young said the officials¡¯ comments could not be overlooked and that the civil affairs division would investigate leaks of official information.
Cheong Wa Dae investigated media reports of tensions between the ministry and the National Security Council (NSC) in synch with a search for whoever leaked the information to the press. During the course of the investigation, it is said that even the mobile phone records of conversations between ministry officials and reporters were looked into.
Cheong Wa Dae investigated seven or eight officials, including a number of individuals at the North American Affair desk and some of the Foreign Minister¡¯s close aides, who are the core drivers of Korean foreign policy toward the United States. In the leak, not only did the officials take aim at the administration¡¯s foreign policy plans, but in reference to recent statements by Grand National Party (GNP) floor leader Hong Sa-duk that pro-Kim Jong-il forces are President Roh Moo-hyun¡¯s base of support, they said, ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that the case?¡±
They went on to say that since the GNP is likely to win in the coming general elections, the president will have no power, and should probably content himself with running the Ministry of Science and Technology or the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Severe punishments, including personnel changes, are expected to result from the investigation. Concerning the investigations into the mobile phone records of conversations between ministry officials and the journalists behind the reports of the tension between Cheong Wa Dae and the ministry, Yoon denied that any inquiries of that nature were made. It is known, however, that the records of phone calls between certain ministry officials and reporters were presented and carefully scrutinized.
(Shin Jeong-rok, jrshin@chosun.com )
|
