BUSAN — Rival parties clashed sharply on the 21st over allegations that Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo accepted money and goods from the Unification Church, formally the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, during his time as a lawmaker, and over the conviction of his former aides for destroying evidence. The dispute erupted during the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of the Busan Metropolitan Government, held in the auditorium of Busan City Hall. Lawmakers from the People Power Party focused on a recent first-instance ruling that found all four of Jeon's former aides guilty — receiving prison terms or fines — of destroying evidence ahead of a search and seizure, pressing the mayor on his substantive responsibility and demanding an explanation. Jeon pushed back strongly against what he called the repeated use of the case as material for political attacks, saying it was "deeply insulting."
People Power Party lawmakers said that "the mayor's closest aides systematically destroyed evidence ahead of an investigation related to the Unification Church and were found guilty." They pressed Jeon to state his position directly to residents on the allegations raised at the time, which included the illegal receipt of money and goods, the repair of a luxury Cartier watch and whether he had visited Cheon Jeong Gung, the church's main sanctuary. They sharpened their attack by arguing that "now that the crime of destroying evidence by his close aides has been established, the mayor cannot be free of moral and political responsibility for the case."
Rep. Jin Jong-oh of the People Power Party opened the questioning. "State clearly that you did not visit the Unification Church's Cheon Jeong Gung and receive a Cartier watch and cash," he said. "Answer how a watch received from the church came into the possession of an acquaintance of yours, why it was sent for repair, and whether you instructed your aides to reset computers and destroy storage devices immediately after the allegations surfaced."
Jeon objected strongly, saying the matter had been cleared by investigators and was being turned back into a political fight. "It is deeply unpleasant to be asked questions that suggest a connection when the investigation found there was no causal link," he said. "Talking about something already settled as if new allegations are under way is deeply insulting."
The exchange spilled over into a dispute between lawmakers from the two parties. Rep. Chae Hyun-il of the Democratic Party of Korea criticized the line of questioning, saying that "bringing back a matter cleared by police and prosecutors and questioning it at a parliamentary audit as if passing judgment is plainly a political attack, intended to put him in a difficult position." Rep. Kwon Young-jin of the People Power Party countered that "at a recent audit of the Korean National Police Agency, lawmakers from the ruling party raised allegations of preferential treatment involving Rep. Han Dong-hoon's child."
Rep. Park Ju-min of the Democratic Party of Korea drew a distinction, saying that "in the case involving Rep. Han, new evidence had emerged and there was a need to consider whether an investigation was warranted." Rep. Park Sang-woong of the People Power Party pushed back, saying that "for the smooth running of Busan's municipal affairs, we can demand a public answer from the mayor, who is the subject of these allegations."