새누리당은 문재인 의원을 포함한 노무현 정부의 관련자들을 사초 실종에 책임을 물어 검찰에 고발했다. 반면 민주당은, ‘NLL(북방한계선) 포기 발언’ 여부를 확인하기 위해 남북정상회담 사전•사후 문건을 열람해야 한다고 주장하며 특별검사 수사를 요구했다.
새누리당과 민주당 의원들은 2007년 고 노무현 대통령과 고 김정일 장관의 남북정상회담 대화록을 검색한 결과, 월요일 기록이 사라졌다는 최종결론을 내렸다.
대화록 검색 과정에서 새누리당은 이 대화록이 노무현 정부 당시 국가기록원에 이관되는 과정에서 사라진 것이라고 거듭 주장했다.
민주당은 노무현 정부 관련 인사들이 문서를 없앨 이유가 없으며, 이명박 정부 당시 기록이 사라진 것이라고 반박했다. 새누리당의 국정원의 작년 대통령 선거 개입 논란을 막기위한 모함이라고 덧붙였다.
여야의 정치적 공방이 거세어지고 있는 시점에서, 민주당 김영환 의원은 평화방송 라디오에서 “이 상황을 조기 종결하고 정쟁을 끝내기 위한 노력을 여야가 냉철하게 할 때”라며 “정쟁을 빨리 중단해야 한다” 말했다.
새누리당 조해진 의원은 “대화록 실종 경위는 검찰이 밝히도록 맡기고 정치권은 더이상 소모적 공방을 하지 않는 것이 국민의 뜻이 아닌가 생각한다”라며 의견을 밝혔다.
이에 문재인 의원에 대한 비판이 쏟아지고 있다. “NLL 진실 규명을 주장하며 노 전 대통령의 명예를 지켜야 한다고 한 분이 아무 해명없이 이제 NLL 논란을 끝내자고 한다”면서 “이런 무책임한 일이 어디 있느냐 ”고 주장했다.
새누리당 최 원내대표는 “문 의원 자신이 예전에 대화록을 작성하고 책임지겠다고 하지 않았느냐”라며 문의원의 진솔한 해명을 요구했다.
김영환 의원도 “덮자고 해서 덮일 상황이 아니지 않느냐. 여론을 악화시키는 경솔한 발언은 삼가야 한다”고 지적했다. (영문 기사 ; 최희석 코리아헤럴드 기자, 한글: 임우정 인턴기자)
<관련영문기사>
Saenuri takes NLL issue to prosecution as infighting plagues DP
The Saenuri Party on Thursday requested the prosecution to investigate opposition lawmaker Moon Jae-in and others they hold responsible for the missing 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript.
In the complaint, the party accused officials from the Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak administrations who were involved in keeping presidential archives of violating the Act on the Management of Presidential Archives.
“Moon Jae-in, who was responsible for overall state affairs as the chief of staff, and the related individuals, Bongha village officials, and those responsible for keeping records under the Roh administration and the Lee Myung-bak administration should be investigated,” the Saenuri Party said in the complaint lodged to the prosecution.
On Monday, the Saenuri Party and Democratic Party lawmakers searching for the transcript of the summit between late former President Roh Moo-hyun and late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il concluded that the records have gone missing.
Following the development, the Saenuri Party pressed the claims that the documents are likely to have been erased during the Roh administration or removed in the process of transferring the data to the National Archives.
The DP, on the other hand, continues to push the argument that Roh and his aides had no reason to delete the data, and that the loss occurred during the Lee Myung-bak administration.
The DP responded to Thursday’s development by accusing the Saenuri Party of resorting to a prosecutors’ investigation to hide the NIS’ involvement in last year’s presidential election. Former NIS chief Won Sei-hoon has been indicted on charges of election interference, and the two main parties are currently conducting a parliamentary investigation into the spy agency.
“It is obvious that the Saenuri Party wants to bring in the political prosecution to bring the DP’s former presidential candidate Moon Jae-in to shame. As always, this is the true colors of the Saenuri Party,” DP spokesperson Rep. Bae Jae-jeung said.
“The fact that the Saenuri Party is making the situation out as a crime when the truth has not been verified seems like an admission of wrongdoings during the Lee Myung-bak administration.”
DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil, who had called for the two parties to negotiate on the method of “stringent investigation” to uncover the truth of the matter on Wednesday, also criticized the ruling party’s move.
“The truth needs to be revealed, but the truth cannot be predicted. We have been holding back on making predictions of Lee Myung-bak administration (being responsible),” Kim told reporters on Thursday.
While the Saenuri Party raised the stakes, the DP appears to likely to once again become bogged down by factional infighting with some of its members attacking Moon and the pro-Roh faction.
“I think that those who led the issue should practice self-restraint and save their words,” Rep. Kim Young-hwan, a four-term DP lawmaker, said in a radio interview on Thursday. He added that the ruling and opposition parties now need to work to conclude the situation quickly.
On Tuesday, Moon released a statement saying that the so-called NLL controversy needs to be put to rest, inciting criticism from both sides that he was being irresponsible.
Kim Young-hwan also singled out Moon saying that as he is neither Roh’s chief of staff nor a presidential candidate, he should refrain from words that further deteriorate the issue.
“What ever (Moon) says, it only appears as though he is changing his words. As he has the most responsibility, and he is the person who called for the transcript to be viewed, he should hold back from speaking out.”
He went onto criticize the party’s leaders for failing to put a stop to calls from the “pro-Roh faction, and those with affection for Roh” to view the records.
Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae, a member of the DP supreme council, went a step further calling on Moon to make a public apology.
“The person who stirred up the country with talks of disclosing the transcript and retiring from politics for factional benefits, is now saying that the NLL controversy should be ended,” Cho said. He added that he found Moon’s statement embarrassing and absurd.
“As the man at the center of the wasteful political strife and that brought the party into chaos and crisis, (Moon) should apologize in front of the party members and the public, and take responsibility for his words.”
By Choi He-suk
(
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
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