20000125

67 corrupt, tainted

S Korean politicians

blacklisted

SEOUL: In a bid to overhaul South Korea's political landscape, a powerful citizens group on Monday announced a list of 67 "corrupt and tainted" politicians who should be ostracised in upcoming parliamentary elections.

The Citizens Alliance for 2000 General Elections, which represents 480 non-governmental organisations, compiled the list with overwhelming public support.

A recent series of public polls showed more than 85 percent of those surveyed pledging to vote against politicians blacklisted by the citizens alliance for the April 13 elections.

After the list was announced at a nationally televised news conference, the ruling and opposition parties said they would honor the list in choosing their candidates in the elections.

South Korean politicians, mostly legislators, have been under intense public fire for corruption, regionalism and election law violations. They have often been a target of ridicule in newspaper columns.

"The millennium has arrived but for our politicians, the millennium has not arrived yet," said lee Nam-ju, a co-chairman of the alliance. "Corrupt and tainted politics is a major obstacle to our social development."

The list includes Kim Jong-pil, a coalition partner of President Kim Dae-jung, parliamentary speaker Pak Jyun-kyu and Chung Moong-joon, a vice president of soccer's world governing body, FIFA.

Kim Jong-pil, 75, a retired army general, has been a key player in south Korea's faction-ridden politics since being involved in a 1961 military coup. He now heads the coalition ruling party, the United Liberal Democrats.

The citizens alliance advised that Kim Jong-pil, who until two weeks ago served as prime minister under President Kim, retire from politics.

It also urged Chung Mong-joon, President of the Korean Football Association and a FIFA vice president, not to run in the elections, accusing him of neglecting his duty as a legislator by absenting himself from most parliamentary sessions.

Parliamentary speaker Park Jyun-kyu, 75, was blamed for involvement in corruption.

One legislator, Han Ee-hun, an independent lawmaker who once served as an economic adviser to former president Kim Young-sam, announced retirement from politics just before the list was announced.

"It's tantamount to a citizens revolution," said Sohn Ho-chul, a political science professor at Seoul's Sogang University. "Since politicians have refused to change themselves, the citizens should rise up and change them."

Those blacklisted include 16 from President Kim's ruling Millennium Democratic Party, 16 from its coalition party, the United Liberal Democrats, and 30 from the main opposition Grand National Party. There were five independent members.

The citizens alliance said if any of those blacklisted run in the elections, it will wage a public campaign against them.ÑAP