Surveillance scandal emerges as key campaign issue

Surveillance scandal emerges as key campaign issue

Members of the KBS chapter of the National Union of Media Workers discuss allegations of illegal surveillance of civilians by the government after an Internet program aired by striking journalists said it had obtained thousands of documents revealing the act, during a press conference in Yeouido, Friday. Korea Times photo by Kim Ju-young Documents reveal extensive spying on civilians by gov’t unit By Lee Tae-hoon The alleged illegal surveillance of civilians by government authorities has emerged as the hottest issue in the run-up to the April 11 National Assembly elections. Both ruling and opposition parties are raising the issue, with the latter even demanding the resignation of President Lee Myung-bak to take responsibility for the scandal. The governing Saenuri Party urged prosecutors Friday to launch a full-scale probe into the presidential office’s alleged involvement in the case, following the disclosure of documents revealing the government’s extensive surveillance activities of civilians. "It is very shocking,” the conservative party’s spokesman Lee Sang-il said. “We urge prosecutors to find who masterminded it. We will closely watch the prosecutors’ investigation and seek other measures if it is deemed insufficient.” Other Saenuri Party officials also denounced the Lee Myung-bak administration’s alleged illegal surveillance activities in an apparent attempt to distance themselves from the scandal. The move came after striking journalists of the state-run broadcaster KBS reported in their own Internet news program, titled “Reset KBS News 9,” that they obtained 2,619 documents that reveal illegal spying on civilians between 2008 and 2010 by an ethics team under the Prime Minister’s Office. The report claimed that the documents show that the ethics team recklessly collected information on not only government officials, but also politicians, journalists and labor union leaders considered hostile to the Lee administration. Political pundits say the Saenuri Party will have no other choice but to withdraw its support for the Lee administration in major political issues despite it’s head of its interim leadership committee Park Geun-hye’s recent efforts to bolster cooperation with the presidential office ahead of the crucial elections. Park recently rejected senior party officials’ request to demand President Lee leave the Saenuri Party. The revelations add to the already snowballing scandal surrounding the government’s illegal surveillance of a businessman, who posted a video clip criticizing the Lee government for resuming U.S. beef imports in 2008, and Cheong Wa Dae’s alleged attempt to cover it up. The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) described the case as a Korean version of the U.S. Watergate scandal, intensifying its attacks on President Lee and the Saenuri party. “The reported truth about illegal surveillance is appalling,” said Han Myeong-sook, chairwoman of the DUP. “The problem is that the results of the surveillance must have been reported to the VIP (President).” The DUP leader urged the President to clarify whether he was aware of the Prime Minister Office’s illegal surveillance activities and if so what role he played in it. Rep. Park Young-sun of the DUP claimed that the fresh revelations are only the “tip of the iceberg” and that Lee should step down from office. “We have defined this case as a Korean version of the Watergate scandal,” she said. “It is time for the country to talk about Lee's resignation.” She claimed that Cheong Wa Dae will continue to hinder authorities’ investigation into the scandal unless the President leaves office. Earlier this month, prosecutors reopened an investigation into the surveillance scandal after one of the officials involved in the case claimed that the presidential office attempted to cover up the illegal operation. Seven officials had been indicted for the illegal surveillance of the businessman critical of the Lee government, but the probe concluded that the presidential office was not involved. On March 20, Lee Young-ho, a former presidential secretary for employment and labor affairs, said in a nationally televised press conference that he ordered his staff to destroy data on surveillance activities when the prosecution first looked into the case in 2010. However, he refused to comply with a prosecution summons for questioning Friday, saying he would appear in front of them today. Prosecutors say they will summon him again for questioning today. The former labor activist said he ordered the destruction of the data to prevent a possible leak of confidential information on public servants, not because they contained any information about illegal activities.