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Party chiefs’ talks deadlocked over probe into NIS
By Choi He-suk
The meeting of the ruling and main opposition party leaders on Tuesday failed to produce significant results, with the two sides clashing over the parliamentary investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s election interference.
Although Hwang and Kim agreed to give priority to issues concerning the public such as the economic democratization laws during the June session, it is regarded as being of little significance as the ruling and opposition parties had reached a similar agreement in April.
At the meeting, the first between the two main parties’ chiefs to be held in nine years, Democratic Party’s Rep. Kim Han-gil pressured ruling Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Hwang Woo-yea over the timing of the parliamentary investigation into the NIS case.
“(I) have concerns whether ruling-opposition relations can continue to be built on the foundations of trust if something the two sides have agreed on is not put into action,” Kim said.
“Our party will not be able to avoid declaring the end of the so-called honeymoon period, if the parliamentary investigation is not conducted as previously agreed.”
A honeymoon period refers to the period of cooperative relations between ruling and opposition parties commonly seen in the early days of a new administration.
For his part, Hwang avoided a direct answer, saying only that the Saenuri Party will review the issue once it has been discussed within the party.
Later in the day, Saenuri Party floor Rep. Kim Tae-heum spokesman hinted that the party may take a more active stance to assert its position.
“The need to form a task force or investigation team within the party to respond to the NIS case has been raised,” Kim Tae-heum said.
“The parliamentary investigation the DP is demanding is an issue that should be considered once the prosecution’s investigation is over, and the investigation into illegal activities carried out by DP officials has not even begun yet.”
The DP, however, has called for the parliamentary investigation to be launched arguing that the indictment of former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon and former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan effectively marked the end of the prosecution’s investigation.
On June 11, Won and Kim Yong-pan were indicted without detention on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act during last year’s presidential election.
Won is alleged to have ordered NIS agents to influence public opinion against Rep. Moon Jae-in of the DP, while Kim Yong-pan is suspected of downsizing the police investigation into the case.
