Public Attorney who Directed the Videotaping Accused of Bribery

The Cheongju District Prosecutors Office`s investigative team, which is responsible for the ²concealed camera² case of Yang Gil-seung, former secretary of President Roh Moo-hyun, requested an arrest warrant for Kim Do-hun, public attorney, for charges of bribery and libel.

Kim had raised the suspicion that Lee Won-ho, the arrested owner of a nightclub in Cheongju who was present with Yang at the bar, may be under the protection of the prosecution.

According to the investigative team, Kim had allegedly received tens of millions of won from Ms. Park, who informed Kim of Yang`s visit to Cheogju on June 28 and talked several times on the telephone with him on that day.

Kim, who represented Park on a complaint case in which Park was accused of perjury, is known to have received money from Park right after Park was found not guilty in June. Prosecutors saw that Kim`s behavior was relevant to his job, and thus accused Kim of bribery. Meanwhile, the investigative team in charge requested an arrest warrant for Park, on the same day, on the charge of blackmailing.

According to the prosecution, Park sold a school site near a University in Cheongju to Han (50), co-owner of Park`s nightclub, in 2001 for 1 billion won. However, when Han`s payment lacked 250 million won, Park threatened to “inform Kim, her attorney,² and received the rest of the money and offered Kim a part of the payment.

Prosecutors are assuming that Han, who purchased the school site on the condition of Park`s lifting the land-use restriction, was postponing full payment when he found out that the conditions were not met. However, it is seen that Han made the full payment due to Park`s continuous threat and blackmailing.

Kim is known to have strongly denied his charges of bribery, but to have admitted receiving money from Park during the face-to-face confrontation with her.

After summoning and investigating Mr. And Mrs. Hong, who allegedly asked an inquiry agency to produce the concealed camera and a bar employee who testified that he actually videotaped Yang with the couple, the investigative team found out and secured the statement that not only did Kim direct them to film Yang, but also told them how they could reach the media.

It is said that Kim has admitted to have partly participated in making the concealed camera.

Chu Yoo-yeop, attorney of the Cheongju District Prosecutor`s Office, said, ²It will be difficult to close the case within the week, for further investigation is necessary on the motivation of the videotaping.²

The Justice Ministry accepted Kim`s resignation today.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office that is investigating on whether Lee Won-ho is under the protection of the prosecution is planning to announce the special inspection results on August 21.