Bank Accounts Traced in Lobby Probe

On November 30, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office’s Criminal Department Six (head of department: Kim Jin-mo) began tracing the bank accounts of several politicians who are suspected to have received lobbying funds from JU group. The investigation team was joined by a deputy division director dispatched from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office who has been assigned as the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, and who will take full control of the lobbying probe.

Prosecutors subpoenaed the former JU Group executive suspected of lobbying political figures, Han Eui-sang (age 45), and questioned the details of his business dealings with people such as the sister of senior prosecutor K at the central district office and Senior Superintendent General Park. It is said that Han commented, “I am not a lobbyist and I have never paid money for a lobby.”

Prosecutors also confirmed the fact that two more family members of Lee Jae-sun (age 48), a secretary to President Roh Moo-hyun, were business partners of JU Group, which brings the total number of family members of Lee involved with JU to six. The newly confirmed JU business partners are Lee’s younger brother and the wife of another younger brother, who are known to have become members around 2004 to 2005 and who have since received a considerable amount of money. Apart from the newly confirmed two, prosecutors will summon and question the four family members of Lee on December 1.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have started an investigation related to the JU Group’s project for pumping crude oil from the western sea in which the Financial Supervisory Service and Korea Exchange have accused six people, including Chairman Joo Su-do (Age 50) and two corporations of using undisclosed information to make insider deals.

will71@donga.com achim@donga.com