Committee fails to agree on endorsing chief prosecutor nominee

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details in paras 5-6, 9-11)
SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly's judiciary committee on Tuesday
failed to reach agreement on whether to endorse the president's nominee for
prosecutor general after the opposition demanded the candidate be withdrawn.
The parliament's judiciary committee was initially expected to decide within the
day whether or not to approve Chun Sung-gwan, President Lee Myung-bak's pick for
the country's next prosecutor general. Chun, current head of the Seoul District
Prosecutor's Office, admitted to allegations of unethical conduct during a
confirmation hearing a day earlier.
By law, the president can dismiss the panel's recommendations, but the hearing
did give the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) further ammunition in its
criticisms of the administration, which has been slammed for what's been
described as a politically motivated probe into late former President Roh
Moo-hyun.
Roh's supporters say the unusually harsh probe into bribery allegations against
the former leader drove him to commit suicide in May. Chun has also been accused
of taking money from a local businessman.
"The DP has stated that it cannot agree to a committee report (endorsing the
nominee), so we decided not to hold a committee deliberation meeting. We will
meet again to discuss the matter," Chang Yoon-seok, senior GNP member of the
judiciary committee, told Yonhap News Agency.
Woo Yoon-keun, the DP's ranking member on the committee, said that the two sides
will hold more discussions on the issue due to their differences.
Chun was quizzed on Monday about the 2.35 billion won (US$1.81 million) he
allegedly received from relatives and a businessman, as well as his reported
false resident registration for his son and luxurious overseas trips taken by his
family.
Chun said that a bulk of the money, 1.55 billion won that he received from a
businessman, was given as a "loan" to buy an apartment in the affluent Gangnam
district of southern Seoul. He did admit to rigging his son's resident
registration, however, in order to enroll him in Gangnam's top tier schools.
The committee had summoned the implicated businessman to testify about the money
at the hearing, but he had already left for Japan for unknown reasons before
authorities could find him.
Opposition lawmakers, however, say they were notified that he returned to South
Korea late Monday, raising suspicions that he fled the country temporarily to
avoid having to appear at the hearing.
"We cannot but suspect that he was intent on avoiding the hearing," the DP's Woo
said, suggesting the committee should press criminal charges against him.
The DP remains adamant in its opposition to the nominee.
"I cannot but question whether the Lee Myung-bak government's personnel
verification system is working properly," DP floor leader Lee Kang-rae said at a
party meeting earlier in the day.
The DP's You Sun-ho, chairman of the judiciary committee, criticized the nominee
for having "not been able to provide any proper documents regarding the
allegations raised."
Conservative splinter opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang, a former judge, said he
was "extremely disappointed" by Chun.
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) has so far remained on the defensive,
keeping its public comments to a minimum.
"In my humble opinion, I don't think those are critical flaws," party chairman
Park hee-tae said in response to questions about Chun during a radio interview
earlier in the day.
Chang Yoon-seok, senior GNP member of the judiciary committee, said Chun may have
been "immoderate" in purchasing the expensive apartment, but argued it does not
diminish his "caliber" in carrying out the duties of prosecutor general.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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