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Korean-American Park Urgently Taken into Custody

Posted July. 28, 2005 11:38,   

한국어

The prosecution has launched a general investigation into the wiretapped recording illegally leaked by National Security Planning Agency (NSPA, now the National Intelligence Service) staff members.

Prosecutor General Kim Jong-bin said on July 27, “The core of the investigation is the act of unlawful wiretapping by a government agency,” stressing, “If the NSPA made any other illegal recordings, they will all be collected and examined.”

Former NSPA Mirim Team leader Gong Un-yong (58) claimed that the NSPA had made thousands of audiotapes acquired through illegal bugging, and that the 200 or so that had been in his possession were later recovered by the NSPA.

An official in the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office stated, “We do not know how many of these illegal recordings remain, but we mean to investigate all the audiotapes still in existence as part of an all-inclusive investigation into the case.”

Prosecutor General Kim noted, “Since the first order of business is to uncover the particulars regarding the creation, maintenance, and distribution of these tapes, we are planning to request the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to hand over the audiotapes and all related materials.”

Meanwhile, the Public Security Department II (head prosecutor: Seo Chang-hi) of the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors’ Office, which is conducting this investigation into the audio recording known as the “X-File,” has taken Korean-American Park, who turned the tape in question over to MBC, into immediate custody. Investigators of the prosecution made Park’s arrest with the assistance of the NIS.

The prosecution has begun a search and seizure of Gong’s residence in Bundang, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, and of In Woo Information & Communications, a company run by Gong in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul.



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