Lee Soo-Dong Will Be Questioned Whether Money Goes into KDJPF

Special Prosecutor Cha Jong-Il will summon Mr. Lee Soo-Dong (70), former standing committee member of the Kim Dae-Jung Peace Foundation For the Asia-Pacific Region (KDJPF), to investigate whether he lobbied through the political circle and whether he received 50 million won from Lee Yong-Ho for a reward.

The Special Prosecution team (SP) recently investigated on Mr. Do Seung-Hee (60), former chairperson of the Seoul administrational newspaper who is known as having delivered money from Lee Yong-Ho to Lee Soo-Dong and prevented them from leaving the nation.

SP is investigating whether Mr. Lee distributed the money from Lee Y.H. to the lawmakers or staffs of NMDP or deposited it in an account of KDJPF.

SP is also planning to investigate on the employees in the administrations office of KDJPF to question about the circumstances that Mr. Lee S.D. received the money and to thoroughly trace the accounts of Mr. Lee to investigate the suspicions about political fund raising.

In addition, SP detected a suspicion that Mr. Do arranged the lobby through the political circle and the administration and is investigating whether Mr. Do requested for the tax reduction to former Commissioner of National Tax Service Ahn Jeong-Nam when KEP Electronics, an affiliate of G&G Group owned by Lee Yong-Ho, was under the tax probe in April and May 2000.

SP summoned a treasurer of G&G Group and is investigating on the circumstances that the money from Lee Y.H. was delivered to Lee S.D. through Mr. Do and whether Mr. Lee gave money to other related officials of KDJPF.

Lee Soo-Dong reportedly talked to a related person of KDJPF that he did not deposit that 50 million won as donation to the Foundation and KDJPF also released a press material, which reads "the money that Mr. Lee received has nothing to do with the Foundation."

Meanwhile, SP is re-investigating on the circumstances that Lee Hyung-Taek, former executive of Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation and the nephew of the President Kim`s wife, asked Mr. Kim Sung-Hwan, high school friend of President Kim`s second son Kim Hong-Up, to inform former Prosecutor Shin Seun-Nam that his brother received money from Mr. Lee Y.H.

Wi-Yong Jung viyonz@donga.com · myzodan@donga.com