By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter


Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said Friday the government will set up an independent commission to investigate the allegation that Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation, founded by late President Park Chung-hee, had extorted money from businessmen during the 1960s.

Answering lawmakers’ questions at the National Assembly, the prime minister further said a fact-finding body for the allegation is ``absolutely needed if the Park administration took people’s money without adequate compensation and against their will.”

``The previous government’s extortion of individuals’ money would violate basic rights in a democratic society,’’ Lee said. ``By all means, inquiry on that issue must be conducted.’’

The prime minister made the remarks in response to Rep. Cho Bae-sook of the ruling Uri Party who asked him if the prime minister, the No. 2 man in the government, had an intention to launch a government-level commission to look into the alleged forcible extortion of money by the scholarship foundation under former President Park’s government.

The government move to shed light on Park’s involvement in the case will likely put his daughter Park Geun-hye, now chairwoman of the Grand National Party (GNP), on the defensive ahead of by-elections slated for April next year. Although opposition leader Park recently declared her intention to resign from the board of directors of the foundation, she is still a member of the board.

The opposition GNP claimed the government is attempting to slander party chairwoman Park, who is considered one of the most viable female presidential hopefuls.

``The prime minister seems to be raising this issue intentionally to distract people’s attention at a time when the ruling party is suffering its lowest-ever popularity,’’ Lee Jung-hyun, vice GNP spokesman, told The Korea Times.

Regarding the Uri’s push to examine the nation’s modern history, Prime Minister Lee threw his weight behind the ruling camp.

``Our country has many past events hidden by former military regimes,’’ Lee continued. ``So we have to investigate the past to find the truth, and wipe the slate clean for the future.’’

yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr