Yoon Tae-Sik Met With Rep. Lee Sang-Hee

The Seoul District Prosecution that is investigating on the alleged lobbies of Mr. Yoon Tae-Sik, major stockholder of Pass 21, investigated former Minister of the Government Information Agency Park Joon-Young, on what circumstances he arranged the demonstration shows of Pass 21 in 3 government departments by the request of Mr. Yoon.

The Prosecution reportedly questioned whether Mr. Park received bribes from Mr. Yoon as a reward for his support to the business. Mr. Park appeared in the Prosecution without a prior notice at 9:50 yesterday and said, "I am here to elucidate the suspicion."

Prosecution also summoned a Mr. Kim, photographer attached to the Senior Secretary to the President for Public Information, and a Mr. Chung, a director of the Senior Secretary to the President for Public Information, to investigate on the circumstances that Mr. Park and Mr. Yoon met with each other.

Mr. Yoon reportedly testified that `he got to know Mr. Chung in September 2000 by the arrangement of Mr. Lee who was an acquaintance of Mr. Kim and requested for a meeting with Mr. Park through Mr. Chung who was then an aide of Mr. Park. And Mr. Yoon met with Mr. Park in Cheong Wa Dae`.

Prosecution learned through former lawmaker Kim Hyun-Kyu, an inspector of Pass 21, that the demonstration show of Pass 21 in the National Assembly was held by the arrangement of Rep. Lee Sang-Hee of the Grand National Party in November 2000 and the related persons of Pass 21 participated in the business fair in the Silicon Valley. Rep. Lee was then the chairperson of the Science, Technology, Information & Telecommunication Committee of the National Assembly.

Rep. Lee met with Mr. Yoo accompanied by former lawmaker Kim 3 times and participated in the technology demonstration show in the office of Pass 21.

The Prosecution is investigating whether Rep. Lee helped Pass 21 for a reward from Mr. Yoon or Mr. Kim.

However, Rep. Lee side explained, "the technology demonstration show was a part of the regular `high technology fair` in the National Assembly, Pass 21 with other 4 businesses was selected to attend the fair in the Silicon Valley since its advanced technology was appreciated."

Prosecution collected testimonies that "Mr. Yoon met with Bae Soon-Hoon, then Minister of Information and Communication, to explain the technology of Pass 21 in vain in 1998." Meanwhile, the Prosecution requested an arrest warrant for Min Ho-Gi (43), former director of the small and medium business bureau of the Maekyung Daily, who is suspected to have obtained 100 million won of illegal benefit from the purchase of 1300 stocks of the company by low price from Mr. Yoon as a reward for publishing articles for Pass 21.

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com