Kim Hong-Gul Will Arrive in Next Weekend

The prosecution will notify President Kim Dae-Jung`s third son Hong-Gul to appear before the prosecution during the coming week, and Hong-Gul is likely to enter the country as early as next weekend.

A related person of the Blue House remarked on May 12, "Hong-Gul will appoint his defense lawyer within two or three days, and Hong-Gul is likely to contact the prosecution (through the defense lawyer)."

The second investigative office (chief prosecutor Cha Dong-Min) of the Seoul District Public Prosecutor`s Office will file a criminal indictment against Hong-Gul when the suspicions against him are confirmed after the summoning, for he received about two billion Won from CEO of Future City Environment Choi Kyu-Sun and some of the money were kickbacks for influence-peddling.

The prosecution is known to have obtained evidences that Choi has sent more than one hundred thousand dollars to Hong-Gul in the United States from May 2000 till now.

Mr. Choi disclosed on April 9 through a press conference, "I helped Hong-Gul financially when he bought a car in the United States, and our wife has once given several thousands of US dollars to Hong-Gul."

Additionally, the prosecution said that it has been investigating the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Sports Promotion Foundation as they are suspected of receiving lobbies in relation to the sports lottery operator selection of Tiger Pools International (TPI).

The prosecution released chief of lottery operation office of the foundation Park Yong-Jae after questioning him in the last week, and the prosecution has a plan to summon chairman of the foundation Choi Il-Hong to probe about whether outsiders including Hong-Gul and Mr. Choi have interfered in the selection process of the lottery operator.

The prosecution will decide whether to re-summon CEO of POSCO Yoo Sang-Bu soon to question him about the alleged illegal pressures on TPI stock purchases of six POSCO affiliates and if the stocks have been purchased with a premium.

Myoung-Gun Lee Sang-Rok Lee gun43@donga.com myzodan@donga.com