Roh Camp’s Funds Likely to Surpass 10 Percent of GNP’s

The investigation into illegal campaign financing during the last presidential election is drawing to an end.

Ever since Rep. Lee Sang-soo was summoned and investigated on January 17 regarding the fund raising activities of the Roh camp during the 2002 presidential election, the prosecution has focused its investigation on the total amount of illicit funds raised by the Roh camp and representatives who have misused campaign funds.

More than ten representatives have been accused of squandering campaign funds so far.

The total amount of illicit funds raised in the Roh’s camp is estimated to be at least 6.6 billion won according to information available to the prosecution’s investigation up until January 18.

It has also been revealed that the prosecution has concluded that a ten billion won contribution received from Hanhwa, another ten billion won received from Kumho were illicit campaign funds along with the ten billion won in secret money received from SK prior to the 2002 presidential election revealed after investigating Lee.

Aside from this, the prosecution has also discovered that the illicit funds raised by close aides of the President, including Ahn Hee-jung, amount to at least another 3.6 billion won.

The Grand National Party (GNP) has illegally raised more than 58 billion won after adding four billion won from Hanhwa.

Both amounts are likely to further increase after the prosecution finishes its investigation into the involvement of big-ten companies, including Lotte, Kumho, Hanhwa, Hanjin, Doosan, and Hyosung.

Officials inside and outside the prosecution also predict that the total of the Roh camp’s illicit funds is very likely exceed a tenth of the GNP’s if the investigation’s current tendency continues.

The amounts offered by the big-four corporations of Samsung, LG, SK, and Hyundai are comparable to those offered by the big-ten groups, investigators said.

As a result, the remarks made by President Roh stating that he “will resign from the presidency if his camp’s illicit funds exceed a tenth of what the GNP has received” will possibly become a political issue once again.

The prosecution plans to finish up the investigation into illicit funds provided by big-ten companies after the lunar new year holiday and initiate another investigation into what the representatives have used the money for, which will greatly affect the general election in April.

Wi-Yong Jung viyonz@donga.com