MDP’s Politician’s Money to Kim Dae-up

The Grand National Party (GNP) contended on August 4, 2002 that it has evidence demonstrating that a power Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) congressman was behind Kim Dae-up’s making accusations as to the alleged military evasion by GNP’s presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang’s sons at a press conference. In response, the MDP counter-attacked that if the accusations turn out true, Candidate Lee should step down.

Park Hee-tae, a GNP’s high-ranking official, held a press conference on 4th and asserted, “We have been tipped off that a powerful MDP’s congressman was behind what Kim has done so far. Our party pronounces a war on political manipulations. (More in A4)

Rep. Chong Hyung-geun contended, “This powerful political figure has secretly managed Kim and given him large sums of money. This figure found out later that Kim’s allegations are exaggerated and visited a deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). He requested for relevant materials on NIS file, but the deputy replied, ‘We have nothing.’”

The GNP decided to file a criminal complaint on 5th charging two prosecutors with aiding and abetting of imposture and abuse of power. According to the GNP, Park Young-kwan, chief prosecutor of Special Unit of the Seoul District Public Prosecutors’ Office and Roh Myeong-sun, then vice chief, used Kim, who was behind bars at that time, in investigating the allegations regarding Candidate Lee’s son.

Mr. Park of the GNP said, “The two prosecutors called Kim into their office almost every day from last June to August and allowed Kim, who at that time was serving his one-year sentence for fraud, to wear plane clothes and act like a detective.”

In response, the MDP’s Rep. Bae Ki-un in charge of investigating evasion allegations within the MDP railed, “The GNP’s allegation of a political figure stuff is not imaginable at all. The GNP is now up against the wall. They are trying to get out of the corner using whatever means available to them. But Lee’s sons evaded military service. Its’ true, period! It’s not a behavior expected of a major political party to crush a honest citizen like Kim.”

The MDP’s spokesman Lee Nak-hyun issued a comment and requested, “The GNP requested in vain that the Attorney General reassign the evasion cases to different units. Thus, this time, it is trying to smother the Prosecutors’ Office. Candidate Lee and his wife Mrs. Han In-ok themselves should explain this.”

Yeon-Wook Jung Yong-Gwan Jung jyw11@donga.com yongari@donga.com