Investigation on Former Defense Minister Added to the Pile

In their investigation of the corruption scandal in the construction of Incheon International Airport, the division for special investigation at the National Police Agency found evidence Friday that former Defense Minister Kim Dong-sin received bribes.

According to an official at the National Police Agency, the investigation was expanded to include the former Defense Minister as former director of the division for facility construction Sin, arrested for taking bribes. It was said during the investigation that he gave 10 million won to the former minister. He said that he met Kim Dong-sin at a Japanese restaurant in Seoul and gave him 10 million won to express his gratitude for helping him.

The police said that Lieutenant Colonel Choi, aid to then Chief of General Staff Kim Dong-sin, visited Sin in October 1999 when Sin was waiting for the review process for his promotion. Lt. Colonel Choi asked Sin to express gratitude to Kim Dong-sin and Sin told Choi that the timing was not good to visit Kim Dong-sin and he would visit later when things improved.

After being promoted, he met former minister Kim around April 2000 to give him 10 million won for promoting him. The police said that the money was part of a 31 million won gift Sin received from Hyundai Engineering & Construction regarding the construction of the outer barbed wire fence at Incheon International Airport. The police will look into former Defense Minister Kim as soon as he returns home from the U.S. The police will soon launch an investigation on Lt. Colonel Choi.

Former president of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Kim Yun-kyun will also be subject to investigation on charges of bribery as soon as he returns from his business trip to Keumkang Mountain. Hyundai Engineering & Construction gave 15 million won to Park from Army Headquarters and 10 million won to Kim, a commander of a unit. The payout slip recording all this was authorized by Kim Yun-kyun.

Jin-Goo Lee sys1201@donga.com