Prosecutors Investigating Recovery Process of Eavesdropping Tapes

On July 28 the Seoul Central District Prosecutors` Office, which is currently investigating the so called “X- file” case, the eavesdropping scandal involving the National Security Planning Agency, the predecessor to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), decided to request an arrest warrant for a Korean-American, Park In-hoi, on the charge of releasing tape recordings of eavesdropped conversations, a violation of the Protection of Communications Secrets Act.

The prosecution is planning to add other charges, including intimidation, when the allegation that Park threatened Samsung Group with the tape is confirmed.

The prosecution searched the house of Park’s acquaintance where Park stayed while he was in Korea. The NIS is reported to have imposed an exit ban on 10 people, including Gong Un-yong, former head of the wiretapping team, and other former NIS workers involved in the leaks of the tapes, with the help of the Ministry of Justice.

In June the prosecution already imposed an exit ban on Oh Jeong-so, former deputy director of the National Security Planning Agency, who is known to be the chief organizer of the illegal tapping team, codenamed “Mirim,” because of his involvement in the Haengdam Island scandal involving the Korea Highway Corporation.

The prosecution is planning to conduct a broad investigation into the process of organizing and operating “Mirim,’’ one year after the team was disbanded in 1993.

Moreover, it will investigate as to whether the NIS collected and discarded the tapes or used the tapes for other purposes in 1999 under the Kim Dae-jung administration.

For the investigation, the prosecution is considering imposing exit bans on politicians including Kim Hyun-cheol, the second son of former President Kim Young-sam, former NIS chief Cheon Yong-taek, former presidential chief secretary Park Ji-won, and officials of MBC who are relevant to the case.

woogija@donga.com