Opposition Party Raises Suspicions on ``Fabrication And Corruption of the `North Winds` ``

With regard to the `North Winds` affair of Rep. Chung Jae-Moon, Rep. Chung Hyung-Keun (Grand National Party) asserted that as the trial became unfavorable in the appeal court, the prosecutor office paid five million dollars to acquire the fabricated data from Mr. Kim, a Korean businessman living in America, sending Mr. H to America.

Rep. Chung Hyung-Keun said that Mr. H has kept up the acquaintance with President Kim Dae-Jung for 30 years, and was in a financially desperate situation because he was filed a large-amount lawsuit in America. And he maintained that he obtained the related data such as Mr. H`s letter to Mr. Kim.

Rep. Chung added, ``Mr. H contacted Mr. Kim at Los Angeles in 1997, and agreed to receive 5 million dollars on the condition to hand in the document, on which Rep. Chung Jae-Moon and An Byung-Soo, vice chairman of North Korea`s national unification committee signed. But the deal was not accomplished at that time.``

Senior Vice-Spokesperson Jang Kwang-Keun said in a briefing of party heads meeting, ``It is a conspiracy to harm GNP president Lee Hoi-Chang that the prosecutors framed the affair by using Mr. Kim who has not appeared in the court for one and a half years, and Mr. H who has been acquainted with President Kim Dae-Jung.`` And he demanded President Kim Dae-Jung to order the fact-finding investigation and to promise for the prevention of reoccurrence of such an affair.

Meanwhile, an official of the prosecutor office denied the GNP`s assertion, maintaining that the prosecutor did not have such a large-amount of money which Rep. Chung stated with regard to the interpellation of Rep. Chung Hyung-Keun.

Mr. H also refuted via telephone interview with the associated press that ``I heard from Mr. Kim that Rep. Chung Jae-Moon suggested Mr. Kim to give 5 million dollars if he arranged successfully the `North Winds` affair. Rather the Grand National Party fabricated the affair for political purpose.``

And Mr. H said, ``I went to America to study in 1964, and I have kept a good relationship with Mr. Kim since he moved to America in 1974. But we have never been involved in such a criminal behavior.``

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