Sons’ Draft Records Issue for Candidate in S. Korea

The two sons of the preeminent South Korean presidential candidate stand accused of dodging the draft, and the political fallout could trigger the defeat of the ruling party for the first time since 1961, political analysts said Wednesday.

Lee Hoi Chang, a former Supreme Court justice, won the New Korea Party’s presidential nomination last month, primarily because of his reputation as “Mr. Clean.” Just three days later, the opposition began demanding an explanation of how each son won exemption from military service and of other alleged irregularities in their conscription records--and is now demanding government hearings.

Bill Clinton overcame questions about his draft record to become U.S. president, but the South Korean issue is potentially more explosive. The often dangerous military tour required of all males here is considered a moral duty because of the perception of a constant military threat from hostile, well-armed North Korea.

There is no proof of any illegality, and Lee insists that he has done nothing wrong. But the scandal has left him vulnerable to challengers both inside and outside his party, political analysts said. Public opinion polls show a 10- to 15-point popularity plunge for Lee since the opposition began hammering away at the issue.

On Wednesday, Cho Soon, 69, an economic reformer and the popular mayor of Seoul, announced that he will run in the Dec. 18 presidential election as a minor-party candidate.

And Rhee In Je, 48, the governor of Kyonggi province, has hinted that he is also considering breaking with the ruling party to challenge Lee as an independent candidate.

With the inclusion of longtime opposition leaders Kim Dae Jung and Kim Jong Pil, who is considering throwing his support behind Kim Dae Jung in a joint campaign, South Korea may have a three-way or four-way presidential race.

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A poll published today by Chosun Ilbo--the nation’s largest daily newspaper--showed Kim Dae Jung leading the pack with 28% support, followed by Lee with 25.9%, Cho with 19.9% and Kim Jong Pil with 8.3%. Other polls have also found Kim with a slight lead, a startling development in a country where the ruling party candidate has traditionally been virtually assured of victory.

“Only a week ago, many people--including me--thought things were fixed because Lee Hoi Chang’s election looked so sure,” said Choi Jang Jip, professor of political science at Korea University. “But now things have suddenly changed.”

President Kim Young Sam, a lame duck whose political standing has been devastated by the Hanbo conglomerate bribery scandal and whose own son is on trial on corruption charges, appears too weak to force his factionalized party to unite behind Lee, Choi said.

Although the 62-year-old Lee served briefly as prime minister, he is considered a political outsider whose popularity stems from his reputation as an anti-corruption crusader and a man of high ethical standards. Because he lacks the established political base of his competitors, charges of moral impropriety are especially damaging, analysts said.

According to copies of conscription records released by the opposition, both sons had drastic weight losses just before they were to be inducted. Lee’s elder son, Lee Chung Yon, now 34, is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 121 pounds at his first draft-board checkup in 1983. But his weight had dropped to 99 pounds in 1991. Those who weigh less than 108 pounds are exempted from military service.

Lee Soo Yon, now 30, is 5 feet 4 inches and weighed 112 pounds in 1985 but was dismissed because he had dropped to 99 pounds in 1989, the records show.

The opposition alleged that other irregularities “raised suspicions” about the integrity of the records. For example, they cite the lack of a photo of Lee Chung Yon; the initial entry, later changed, of Lee Soo Yon’s aunt and uncle (a U.S. citizen) as his parents; and contradictory notes about the medical checks that the two had undergone.

In a television appearance, Lee said his sons have always been so thin they were nicknamed “chopsticks” and “skeleton” and that there have been no improprieties. But many Korean citizens, made cynical by years of revelations of corruption in high places, are speculating about whether the young men dieted to dodge the draft or pulled political strings to have their records altered.

“Military service is a personal concern for all South Korean families,” said Lee Young Duk, managing editor of the Chosun Ilbo paper. “To have two sons--not one, mind you but two--having evaded military service is a very serious matter.”

Neither son could be reached for comment this week. Lee spokesman Ko Heung Kil said the campaign is “confident that time will solve the problem” and that Lee’s popularity ratings will bounce back.

But a ruling party leaflet was more aggressive, branding opponents Kim Dae Jung and Kim Jong Pil “power addicts,” the Korea Times reported today.

As the ruling party candidate, Lee can still expect certain advantages--including hefty donations from the business conglomerates that have traditionally bankrolled South Korea’s costly presidential campaigns, Choi said. But donors are likely to hesitate unless Lee recovers his popularity, he warned.

Chi Jung Nam of The Times’ Seoul Bureau contributed to this report.