`Choi Kyu-Sun Visited Twice the House of the President`s Personal Secretary`

The special investigative team of the Seoul District Prosecutor`s Office (chief prosecutor Cha Dong-Min) has secured a statement of former driver Yang of Future City Environment CEO Choi Kyu-Sun on April 21, `Mr. Choi visited twice the house of administrative officer Lee Jae-Man, a personal secretary of the president Kim, in the early period of this year.`

Mr. Yang stated, `I do not know what kind of conversation went through even though Mr. Choi visited twice the house of administrative officer Lee after the day`s work.

As the suspicion that former administrative officer Lee leaked information related to the Blue House including the president`s schedules is raised, Lee requested resignation on April 21 and the request is granted.

Additionally, Mr. Yang stated to the prosecution that he `accompanied Mr. Choi in front of a coffee shop when Mr. Choi met the president`s third son Hong-Gul in the coffee shop of a hotel recently.`

The prosecution also summoned in the afternoon of April 20 a presidential secretary of political affairs Lee Man-Young, who is allegedly urged Mr. Choi to go overseas through former director of the special investigative division of NPA Choi Seong-Kyu. The prosecution let Lee go home in the early morning of April 21 after the probe.

According to the prosecution, secretary Lee stated, `I have met former director Choi for one to two minutes on April 11, but I have never said a word of advice to Choi to hide out.`

The prosecution also had summoned CEO of Tiger Pools International (TPI) Song Jae-Bin April 19, inquired him about whether 1.5 billion Won transferred to Mr. Choi on April and May last year was a kickback for athletic lottery operator selection, and released him on April 20.

The prosecution also investigated the circumstance of selling 200 thousand stocks of TPI worth of seven billion Won to six affiliating companies of Pohang Steel Co. on April last year.

The prosecution suggested that it might re-summon Mr. Song, saying, `The purpose of this times summoning was to hear the arguments and thinking of Mr. Song.`

In addition to this, the prosecution has a plan to summon former deputy Seoul mayor Kim Hi-Wan on April 23. Mr. Kim allegedly shared money and stocks provided by Mr. Song with Mr. Choe in return for the introduction of Mr. Song to Mr. Choi.

In other story, the prosecution assigned the lawsuit case against MDP Rep. Sul Hoon who claimed `Mr. Choi gave 250 million Won to Rep. Yoon Yeo-Joon requesting to transfer the money to former party president Lee Hoi-Chang ` which was brought by Rep. Yoon Yeo-Joon and others to the special investigation office of the Seoul District Prosecutor`s Office.

According to the prosecution, no statement in relation to former party president Lee or Rep. Yoon has been obtained so far from Mr. Choi.

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com · Min-Hyuk Park mhpark@donga.com