Former Presidential Aide Summoned

The probe into Kim Heung-ju, former head of Grace Department Stores, is speeding up after the prosecutors summoned Lee Geun-young, former governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), and Lee Ju-sung, former head of National Tax Service.

In particular, the focus of the probe is expected to shift from Kim’s involvement in the buying of Gold Mutual Savings Bank to lobbying allegations. As the investigation is projected to draw in other members of the political circle, attentions are growing on who will be summoned next.

The prosecution announced on Wednesday that it will summon Han Kwang-ok, former presidential chief of staff. The prosecutors made it clear that he was a suspect in the investigation.

“Han must be investigated in order to get a clear picture on the allegations surrounding Kim,” said an official at the prosecution.

The prosecution reportedly secured much substantial evidence that Han pressured Kim to pay rent for an office of Kwon Noh-kap, former Democratic Party advisor.

Han was the presidential chief of staff from November 1999 to September 2001. He was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison and 3 years of probation for receiving bribes worth 110 million won from 1999 to 2000.

Suspicions are raised on not only Han, but also on the politicians who were close with Kim. In fact, a nephew of an influential person of the Kim Dae-jung government worked at a subsidiary of Kim’s. A brother of a candidate for president from the opposition party co-headed a company related to Kim from September 2001. This implies that Kim was close to not only politician but also their family members.

The prosecution searched Kim’s office and secured a meeting list of 45 people. The members of the meeting are known to be the members of the political circle, the prosecution, National Intelligence Service, and FSS.

According to the prosecution, Kim was chairman of the meeting as he is the oldest, and the rank of the meeting was set according to age, and all members were as close as real brothers.

Kim regularly met with the members in golf links in nearby Seoul, and sometimes gave some members allowances.

Kim is not expected to talk openly about any inappropriate matters regarding the members. However, Kim’s statement will be the most critical in proving Kim’s inappropriate relationships with the members. Therefore, his statement is expected to be the most critical in the investigation.

needjung@donga.com turtle@donga.com