Re-Investigation of Jin`s Gate Will Extend to Next Year

The prosecution`s reinvestigation on `Jin Seugn-Hyun Gate` becomes feeble because of former President of the MCI Korea Kim Jae-Hyun`s, a key figure of this case, fleeing overseas and the prosecution`s lack of will to investigate.

The prosecution pothered after the event. It could not realize that Kim had already fled overseas. More than one month after his fleeing, the prosecution issued an order to arrest throughout the country. After confirming Kim`s departure, the prosecution put him on a wanted list through Interpol. A high ranking official of the Seoul District Public Prosecutors Office (SDPPO) hinted yesterday that there was no progress with the investigation. "Kim fled overseas, and former Second Director of National Intelligence Service Kim Eun-Sung, a wirepuller of the lobbying activities to rescue Jin from punishment, is keeping silence."

The SDPPO released, last night, Rep. Kim Bang-Rim of the New Millennium Democratic Party, who was summoned on 28th. It announced that "The prosecution decided to halt its investigation on Rep. Kim, who flatly denied suspicion, because we cannot confirm the allegations without Kim, who testified that he gave money to Rep. Kim."

Kim testified that "I met Rep. Kim in her office and gave 50 million won in total, 20 and 30 million won at a time." during the first investigation, which was held last year. However, the prosecution did not investigate on this case.

The SDPPO discovered that former Deputy Minister of Justice Shin Gwang-Ok, who was arrested for receiving 18 million won from Jin, also received additional 8 million won from another people for his intervention into the personnel promotions in the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) and Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) when he was serving as the Senior Presidential Secretary of Civil and Legal Affairs.

An official of the prosecution said, "We discovered that Shin took 3 million won from Choi Taek-Gon, one of Jin`s lobbyist, and 5 million won from Mr. Gooo, a businessman in Pusan area, for being asked to exercise his influence in promotions of their relatives and acquaintances at Shin`s home in July 2000."

The prosecution confirmed that Choi`s relative in KDIC was promoted and Goo`s acquaintance in MMAF was transferred to the better position that he wanted after their requests.

Shin also testified that he received additional 8 million won in total from Goo in January and March. But the prosecution did not include the new charge in the indictment because the money was not given for any request.

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com