South Korea's ruling party on Sunday launched a tirade against opposition leader Lee Hoi-Chang over illegal funds allegedly diverted from the country's spy agency.
The ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) insisted that Lee, head of the opposition Grand National Party (GNP), was involved in the illegal use of 110 billion won (86 million dollars) from intelligence authorities.
"Lee was implicated directly and indirectly in the scandal," the MDP said in a statement.
The ruling party demanded Lee and other GNP members apologize for using state money during parliamentary elections in 1996 and presidential polls in 1997.
Prosecutors have probed allegations that most of the money was handed out among GNP members. Kim Ki-Sup, a former deputy head of the National Intelligence Agency, has been arrested.
But the GNP has accused the MDP of seeking to destroy the opposition with groundless allegations.
Lee, who was narrowly defeated by President Kim Dae-Jung in 1997, is a leading candidate for the next presidency when Kim's five-year term ends in early 2003 -- SEOUL (AFP)
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