Kwak’s case keeps parties on edge

DP Joins call for resignation; Oct. 26 by-elections may include education chief


The opposition camp faced an unexpected obstacle in gearing up for elections including for Seoul mayor, as calls for the city’s liberal education chief to resign over bribery allegations indicated his position may also be put to a by-election.

Kwak No-hyun admitted Sunday that he delivered 200 million won ($186,272) to one of his former election rivals, who dropped out of the race just before the vote, leaving Kwak the sole opposition candidate against six conservatives.

Though Kwak claimed that the money was given out of goodwill and was not related to Park’s withdrawal, parties demanded his resignation.

Kwak was the leading figure in the opposition camp’s plan to provide free meals to all elementary schools.

For the ruling party, it came as a timely chance to make up ground after the failure of the free meal plebiscite and subsequent resignation of Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

“Kwak should step down immediately, taking responsibility as an educational leader for being involved in a corruption charge,” said Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the ruling Grand National Party on Monday.

“The very fact that he was involved in such a corruption scandal has greatly disappointed the people and brought disgrace on his own reputation.”

The main opposition DP also expressed regrets over the case.

“I hope that Kwak will look back on his actions and take due responsibility,” said DP chairman Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu, apparently hinting that the education chief should resign.

Supreme Council member Rep. Park Joo-sun also said that Kwak’s explanations Sunday were insufficient to overturn the charges of misconduct.

Other high-ranking lawmakers followed suit, expressing concerns that the case may worsen public opinion of the opposition camp’s ethical standards.

“Kwak’s case is a crisis for the entire liberal camp,” said Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the DP on Twitter.

Should Kwak offer his resignation before Sep. 30, the election of his successor would be held on Oct. 26, along with the Seoul mayor election.

The conservative minority Liberty Forward Party, on the other hand, criticized both the GNP and the DP.

“It is highly doubtful that Kwak could have given out 200 million won just out of goodwill at the risk of being involved in bribery allegations,” said the party’s spokesperson through a statement.

“The prosecution, too, may not escape the blame that it politically targeted at the opposition camp by picking up on Kwak’s case as soon as the plebiscite ended.”

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)