Travel Ban on Four to Five, Including Lee Won-ho

On January 5, Kim Jin-heung, a special prosecutor in charge of the investigation of President Roh’s close aides, requested foreign travel bans on four to five major suspects including Lee Won-ho, the owner of K night club in Cheongju, who was involved in the Yang Gil-sung affair.

Kim revealed the plan for the investigation in a press interview that was held after the opening ceremony of the special prosecutor’s office in Seocho, Seoul, on the day before the start of the official investigation.

“The plan is to clear the suspicions by March 5, the end of the period of the first investigation. Yet, in case the investigation is incomplete, it may be continued until April 3,” said Kim. However, he took a prudent attitude in regard to the question of whether he will investigate President Roh, saying, “That is a something to decide after an examination of the records.”

For the sake of efficiency in the investigation, Kim entrusted three assistant special prosecutors, Lee Joon-beom, Yang Seung-chun and Lee Woo-seung, with the Yang Gil-seung affair, and with the Choi Do-sul and Lee Kwang-jae investigations, respectively.

Three public prosecutors and twenty public officials were dispatched to the special prosecutor team and eight extra special investigators were appointed.

Hyun-Doo Lee ruchi@donga.com