The ruling and the main opposition party are
now sharply divided over an account in a recently released memoir. One excerpt says that Moon Jae-in,... a potential
presidential nominee for the main opposition party,... asked North Korea for its opinion
before a UN vote on human rights. Park Ji-won zooms in on the brewing political
feud. Former Foreign Minister Song Min-soon's account
of a decision made during the Roh Moo-hyun administration has set off a firestorm in
domestic politics. The account
, from his memoir released last
week,... details South Korea's decision to abstain from a 2007 vote on a UN resolution
on North Korea's human rights record. According to Song,... Moon Jae-in,... who was the chief of staff
to the late president at the time,... proposed that South Korea ask for North Korea's opinion
on the matter before voting. In the end, Seoul abstained from voting. Since the release of the memoirs,... the ruling
Saenuri Party has lobbed harsh criticism at Moon and the oppositio
n. "If it's true, it constitutes an abandonment
of sovereignty... and a breach of the law. We need to get to the bottom of this using
every possible means, including a parilamentary investigation, hearing and special prosecutor." Moon, the former chairman of the main opposition
Minjoo Party of Korea and a presidential hopeful in 2017,... and his party went on the attack. "They are once again politicizing inter-Korean
issues to cover up various corruption allegations." "With the country in crisis
,... the Saenuri
Party seems to have lost its senses. They are willing to defame our party's presidential
candidate... to cover up the Choi Soon-sil scandal." Choi is under fire for allegedly using her
personal ties to President Park Geun-hye to solicit donations for two foundations. The minor opposition People's Party also had
a strong reaction to the unfolding controversy. "Has the Saenuri Party ever formed a task
force on the corruption allegations surrounding people like Choi Soon-sil? The r
uling party continues to make absurd
remarks without doing what's necessary." Two officials who participated in the 2007
meeting -- former Unification Minister Lee Jae-jung and former NIS Director Kim Man-bok
-- have refuted Song's account. "The former intelligence chief said Song should
be indicted for leaking classified information. In response, Song repudiated them both, saying
the truth never changes. Park Ji-won, Arirang News."
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