Former President Has a Daughter Born out of Wedlock?

Suspicions are increasing that former President Kim Dae-jung has a daughter born out of wedlock, and that National Intelligence Service (NIS) officials gave her money to buy her silence. The money they gave her were bribes offered by Jin Seung-hyun in late 2000, a case widely known as “Jin Seung-hyun-gate.”

This information was collected by a production team from “News Chase,” a SBS news magazine program, and will be covered on the program that will air at 8:55 p.m. on April 19 with the title of “I am DJ’s daughter-the truth of Jin Seung-hyun gate and the NIS’ special project.”

According to the program, former President Kim has a 35-year-old daughter born out of wedlock to whom Kim Eun-seong and Jeong Seong-hong, then NIS officials, gave 350 million won that they took from Jin.

During the re-investigation into Jin Seung-hyun gate in 2001, the prosecution did not prosecute for 200 million won out of the 350 million won that NIS officials took on the grounds that the amount was spent for an “NIS special project”.

“News Chase” secured testimony from a person involved in the “gate” that the NIS special project was using Jin’s money to cover up the fact that President Kim had a daughter born out of wedlock. The TV program also interviewed face-to-face a women identified as Kim, who claimed to be President Kim’s daughter in question.

It is reported that Kim said, “I have gone to meet President Kim in person,” adding, “I bought an apartment with the money I received from the NIS.” Kim said that her mother killed herself in June 2000, shortly after receiving the money.

“News Chase” said, “The reason that a former NIS official Kim made a “Jin Seung-hyun list,” a fake document which says that high-ranking officials in the prosecution took money from Jin, to block any investigation by the prosecution in order to keep hidden the existence of the president’s daughter,” adding, “We confirmed that much of what the alleged daughter of President Kim said is true through contact with Jin’s associates and high-ranking officials at the NIS.”

The program will also cover allegations that the former president kept sending money to her. It will publicize as evidence a statement showing that the money was remitted from a bank account of the wife of Cho Pung-eon, an arms dealer close to President Kim.

Meanwhile, a close aide of President Kim said on April 18, “We are checking the information that the ‘News Chase’ team collected,” adding, “We cannot say anything as of yet.”

Jung-Bo Suh suhchoi@donga.com