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| Park Geun-hye, Ahn Cheol-soo |
The race for the presidency is fast shaping up as a showdown between Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye and popular venture business guru Ahn Cheol-soo following a claim Thursday that Park’s camp blackmailed Ahn to block him from politics.
Consensus appears to be building among rival political parties toward a parliamentary investigation into the allegation raised by Geum Tae-seop, lawyer and adviser to Ahn.
The inquiry, if it happens, would be a double-edged sword for both presidential frontrunners, observers say.
If the claim is true, it could deal a blow to Park, reminding voters of the iron-fisted rule by her father, former President Park Chung-hee. Her association with the dictatorial regime is still dogging her campaign.
On the other hand, as the investigation proceeds, Ahn’s political capital largely depending on his integrity can be damaged if he is found to be involved in an irregularity, howerer small.
On Thursday, Geum told a news conference that Jeong Joon-gil, member of Saenuri’s communications team, threatened to unveil “bribery and woman problems” involving Ahn if he runs in the presidential election.
The main opposition Democratic United Party demanded a thorough probe into Saenuri and the government accusing them of illicit surveillance of Ahn.
“(The alleged threat made by Park’s camp) was like a dj-vu of the military dictatorship in the old days,” said DUP floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won in the Supreme Council meeting on Friday. “We must clear all doubts on a parliamentary level.”
Party chief Rep. Lee Hae-chan pledged to kick off a fact-finding committee.
Rep. Song Ho-chang, a DUP lawmaker and close aide to Ahn, also called for a parliamentary investigation.
“If proven true, the threat would be a violation of constitutional order, as well as an act of political terrorism,” Song said in a radio interview.
Saenuri officials, too, said they are willing to look into the developments, but with different intentions.
“The parliamentary investigation, if implemented, will not only clear the illicit surveillance allegations but also reveal the truth about Ahn,” said Baik Kee-seung, another member of the Saenuri communications team.
The professor has recently come under fire for negative rumors that contradict what he has said in books and in public.
The ruling camp, however, is not so willing to face a full-scale probe as the aftermath may deliver a blow to presidential hopeful Park.
“The issue is not subject to a parliamentary probe as Ahn is not a public official,” said Lee Sang-don, a member of the Saenuri political reform committee.
Rep. Park cautioned against escalating the dispute.
“It seems to me that (Geum and Jeong) are long-time friends and they had personal conversation over the phone,” she told reporters on Friday.
“I do not understand why (Geum) would exaggerate the meaning of their talk.”
Jeong claimed that he was only delivering his personal advice to Geum, that Ahn should be aware of the ongoing suspicions and prepare himself.
Geum, however, accused the right-wing of playing a political game to cover up the truth.
“The conversation was no ordinary small talk between friends,” he said.
“(Jeong) listed a series of false rumors against Ahn and threatened him not to join the presidential race.”
The professor himself has largely remained out of the mudslinging, saying little about the issue.
“The Saenuri Party is to make its explanations and I have nothing more to say about this,” said Ahn’s spokesperson Yoo Min-young.
“The judgment is the people’s to make.”
Despite his silence, observers speculated that Ahn would soon make his presidential bid, displaying his determination to stand against the Saenuri camp’s offensives.
“We take this as a sign that Ahn confirmed his plan to challenge the presidency,” said DUP spokesperson Jung Sung-ho on Friday.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
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