Seoul, Dec 14: South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun was reported to have said today he would step down if his camp was found to have accepted more illegal funds than opposition parties during last year's presidential election campaign. Roh's remarks came at a meeting with political party leaders, according to Choe Byung-Yul, head of the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP).
"I will step down and quit politics if my camp is found to have improperly accepted funds totaling more than a tenth of the donations the GNP took," Roh was quoted as saying.
The GNP leader said Roh was ready to accept an independent slush fund inquiry of his camp when state prosecutors complete their investigation.
Hit by corruption scandals implicating his associates, Roh has already called for a national referendum on his rule, saying he would resign if he lost the vote.
Prosecutors last week questioned two of Roh's close confidants implicated in a widening campaign financing inquiry.
Roh, a former human rights lawyer who was elected on an anti-corruption platform, has been hit by dwindling public ratings, labor unrest and a hostile parliament.
His leadership was undercut further in early December when the opposition-controlled Parliament overrode Roh's veto of an independent slush fund inquiry.
State prosecutors have combed the books of giant business corporations. The GNP, however, insists it cannot trust prosecutors to conduct a fair inquiry. Bureau Report