By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter

President Roh Moo-hyun Monday called for the passage of a special law to determine what contents of the illegally recorded audiotapes should be publicized. Roh, however, did not support the opposition’s proposal to introduce a special counsel to investigate the eavesdropping case.
``It is a very dangerous idea to have another body do the investigation when the state authorities, such as the prosecution, can do it,’’ he said in a meeting with reporters at Chong Wa Dae after his weeklong summer vacation.

``We can confirm if the incumbent administration is engaged in illegal activities through the ongoing probes. And, it will not be too late to decide whether to introduce the special counsel if those inquiries are found insufficient,’’ he said.

The Grand National Party (GNP) and three other opposition parties plan to submit to the National Assembly today a bill to introduce an independent counsel to investigate the illegal bugging.

The largest opposition GNP has also called for legislation banning the National Intelligence Service (NIS) from carrying out bugging practices, abusing its power and engaging in politics.

In a denial of an allegation from the opposition camps, Roh also stressed there was no political scheme behind the bugging scandal, adding the ongoing in-house probe would also look into any possible wiretapping under his own administration.

He stressed that he would do his best to get to the bottom of the matter even if it involved figures from his own camp, including the ruling Uri Party.

``There is neither conspiracy nor political intentions in connection with the illegal bugging case,’’ he said. ``I did not have the incident leaked, and it was revealed without my involvement.’’

Roh held the unscheduled press meeting as opposition parties, including the Democratic Party (DP), alleged he is leaking information as part of efforts to restructure the political landscape to favor his own camp.

The eavesdropping scandal came into light late last month when media outlets disclosed secret conversations between a senior Samsung Group official and a former newspaper publisher in the lead-up to the 1997 presidential election to help the opposition candidate.

The NIS launched an investigation into the entire illegal wiretapping activities, conducted by its predecessor under the Kim Young-sam administration (1993-1998).

But the scandal took a new twist last week when the NIS admitted that the illegal practice continued until 2002 while former President Kim Dae-jung was in office. Roh was elected on the ticket of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), the predecessor of the DP founded by Kim Dae-jung. Roh and his followers later split from the MDP and set up the now ruling Uri Party.

Roh said the latest revelation involving the Kim administration was not his own intention but it just came out in the course of investigation of the scandal.

``It just popped up,’’ he told reporters. ``Should I conceal it then? I’m not a politician with skills of maneuvering political plots.’’

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr