Ministry backs prosecution's probe into Roh's backlog of government data

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- The legislation ministry on Monday gave its support to the prosecution's investigation into former President Roh Moo-hyun's controversial backlogging of government archives, saying his right to access classified documents does not entitle him to reproduce them for personal use.

Prosecutors have been looking into allegations of irregularities involving Roh
and his aides since a right-wing civic group filed a complaint in July accusing
them of copying government data files and storing them at the former president's
residence shortly before he stepped down in February.
The files taken to Roh's rural home in the village of Bongha, South Gyeongsang
Province, are believed to include highly sensitive information, such as Seoul's
policy on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, the operations of the National
Intelligence Service, relations with the United States and personnel profiles of
key officials.
Some officials in the Lee Myung-bak government say Roh's storage of the files
signals an attempt at making a political comeback. Critics call the ongoing probe
political revenge.
Backing the prosecution, the Ministry of Government Legislation, which has the
authority to interpret laws and regulations for governance, said Roh's
reproduction of government data goes beyond the limitations of the law.
"A former presidents' right to look into government archives does not include the
right to reproduction," the ministry said in a response letter to the
prosecution, which had asked the ministry to arbitrate.
The archives are open to members of the National Assembly, heads of the High
Courts, staffers of the archive agency as well as former presidents, but "permits
only one-off access and does not allow the reproduction or submission of
documents," the ministry said.
Roh returned the copied data to the prosecution amid the controversy, but he and
his aides maintain the law allows the material to be copied and guarantees former
presidents access to government archives. They have also said the current
administration was fully notified of their activity.
Prosecutors said they have not yet decided whether to indict Roh and his former
aides. Former presidential secretary for general affairs Jung Sang-moon and and
other aides in charge of information and policy monitoring were summoned for
questioning last week.
Meanwhile, Roh launched a Web site last week calling for "free and balanced"
political debate, criticizing ongoing investigations and crackdowns on the
on-line community by the Lee administration.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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