Chasing the Hidden Protectors of `Pass 21`

The Seoul District Prosecution that is investigating lobby activities of Yoon Tae-Sik who was arrested for the `Suzy Kim murder case` summoned Mr. Nho Hee-Do yesterday, the international cooperator of the Information and Communication Ministry, and a reporter of a press company.

The Prosecution examined the circumstances surrounding Mr. Nho`s purchase of 200 Pass 21 stocks at face value (5,000 won) in his wife`s name in January 2000, particularly focusing on the free installation of the fingerprint verification system of Pass 21 by Mr. Yoon when Mr. Nho was the chairperson of the Electronic Data Management Center.

The Prosecution explained that Mr. Kim Sung-Nam, former advisory lawyer of Pass 21, who is nominated as a chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission, had made a stock option contract with Pass 21 for the consultant fee and that there is no legal problem with this.

However, the Prosecution announced that it is investigating the reason why Mr. Kim contracted to receive stocks instead of the customary cash payment, but did not have any plans to summon Mr. Kim.

The Prosecution is also investigating the circumstances under which Pass 21 obtained high technology and achieved such rapid growth, but has not detected any concrete circumstantial or substantial evidence of organizational protection or political backing.

Related to this, the Ministry of Information and Communication delivered 2 technology evaluation documents, `Reviewing Report of Pass 21` and `Reviewing Report of the Fingerprint Verification Technology of Pass 21` to the Economy Team of National Intelligence Service, increasing the suspicion that NIS had continuously monitored Pass 21.

The Ministry of Information and Communication revealed that the documents were made for a report to the then Minister Nam Gung-Seok after Kim Young-Ryol, CEO of the Seoul Economic Daily, visited the Minister to request for a support to Pass 21 in December 1999. A related official said, "Then an official in charge faxed the documents in accordance with NIS`s request in July 2000."

NIS explained, "NIS collected information that Mr. Yoon was using his connections to former high ranking officials. Hence, NIS received related documents from MIC and took caution in order to prevent making an innocent victim. The assertion that NIS monitored Pass 21 is groundless."

The Prosecution is trying to locate Mr. Kim (55), now in hiding, who worked as a board member of an affiliated company owned by Mr. Yoon until lately after he retired from the NIS in 1998. He was an NIS inspector in the Suzy Kim case in 1987. Mr. Kim received millions of won for activity payment from Yoon but did not receive any stock.

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com