Prosecution Concluded No Grounds for Allegation of Military Evasion

On Oct. 25th, the special division 1 of Seoul District Prosecutors` Office announces its final determination as to the allegation that Lee Chong-yon evaded the military service. Chong-yon is the first son of Grand National Party`s presidential candidate Lee Hui-chang, and the allegation was first filed by Kim Dae-up with the office. The division has reportedly concluded that the allegation is not sufficient enough to warrant an official investigation.

The division will explain why it has reached such conclusion despite allegations such as that candidate Lee`s wife Han In-ok bribed a government official to have her son exempted from the service and that the medical examination records on Chong-yon were manipulated.

The division, however, will determine later, after more investigation, whether to prosecute Kim Dae-up and others on a defamation charge for their alleged imposture of police officers, and slanderous and libelous acts.

The division confirmed that it has officially put on the wanted list Kim Do-sool, who was a former army doctor and now is staying in US, on charges unrelated to those involving Chong-yon, and will submit a request to US authorities for the extradition of him.

Reportedly, the prosecution has succeeded in securing some evidence establishing that Kim Do-sool, along with Kim Kil-boo, former head of Military Manpower Administration (MMA), and his former aid, took bribe in exchange for exempting three people from military service.

The prosecution has found out that former head Kim and MMA`s official Yeo Choon-ok met with Grand National Party`s members such as Rep. Goh Heung-kil and Rep. Hwang Woo-yeo at a hotel in Seoul, and that Rep. Chong Hyung-keun and Park Seo-hwan visited Kim`s office. But, it concluded, the meetings were not for covering up the allegations concerning Chong-yon.

One prosecutor confirmed, "The meetings were just for obtaining the approval for making Chong-yon`s medical records public." He continued, "What Mr. Park, a former aid to the former head Kim, meant by a contingency meeting is the internal meeting of directors of the MMA."

In the meanwhile, 6 members of Millennium Democratic Party such as Rep. Lee Sang-soo, Song Young-kil and Shin Ki-nam visited the Highest Public Prosecutors` Office. During their visit, they had a meeting with Attorney General Lee Myong-jae, and protested against the final determination, demanding a more thorough probe.

In response, Attorney General reportedly replied, "I can`t make any comments on a pending investigation. But I will relay what I heard to the prosecutors in charge of the investigation."

Wi-Yong Jung Sang-Rok Lee viyonz@donga.com myzodan@donga.com