Prosecution to Summon Former NIS Vice-Chief Kim Eun-Sung for Investigation.

Seoul District Prosecutor`s Office, which is reinvestigating the `Jin Seung-Hyun Gate`, decided yesterday to summon the former second director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Kim Eun-Sung, who has allegedly directed his subordinate to find out the circumstance of the prosecution`s investigation of the case, by offering him 10 million won.

By saying that "the former second director Kim and the former chief of the economic section of the NIS Chung Sung-Hong might have not lobbied separately regarding the case." the prosecution implied that the two have appealed for clemency for Mr. Jin together.

When it was asked about "the plan to summon Mr. Kim, the prosecution answered that it did not have a plan right now." However, it hinted that the summon is at hand by saying "please wait for a day or two."

When it was revealed how Mr. Kim was involved in the `Jin Seung-Hyun Gate`, the prosecution said that "we found a suspicious part when we traced the check amounting to 150 million won, which was given to the former chairperson Kim Jae-Whan by the owner of the MCI Jin Seung-Hyun." thus, implying that 10 million won was part of this money, which the former second director of the NIS Kim had given to his subordinate.

Through the trace of the account, the prosecution verified that a check for 100,000 won which Chung receive from Kim, was given to a NIS employee, and found 10 million won, of which source is unidentified, from the employee. It was reported that the employee said that he had received the money from the former second director of the NIS Kim.

It was reported that the employee testified at the prosecution that "the former second director of the NIS Kim had given him 10 million won to find out the state of the prosecution`s investigation and to report back to Kim during the `Jin Seung-Hyun Gate` and the `Chung Hyun-Jun Gate`, I frequently reported the state of the investigation back to Kim."

According to article 11 of the NIS law, the NIS personnel would be punished severely for misfeasance if the person orders other people to do work beyond the obligation, or obstructs the exercise of rights.

Kim Seung-Ryun srkim@donga.com