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October 04, 2008
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| As the series of corruption probes into members of the opposition Democratic Party grows, prosecutors have announced that they are currently investigating Kim Min-seok, a member of the DP supreme council. Kim, 44, discovered on Thursday that he was being investigated, and that he has been under a travel ban since Sept. 18, when he tried to visit the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea with other members of his party and was barred from leaving the country. The Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office said Kim is suspected of receiving hundreds of millions of won in bribes from an unnamed businessman. Prosecutors said they have evidence and that they will soon summon Kim for questioning. “It is groundless. I think I became a target because I criticized the bribery scandal related to GNP members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council this summer,” said Kim. “I haven’t engaged in political activities for the past few years, so I had no reason to receive bribes. I can’t understand the current investigation.” Three years ago, Kim was convicted of receiving an illegal donation of 200 million won ($163,465) from the chairman of SK before the 2002 Seoul mayoral election. He was put on probation for two years. Meanwhile, nerves are jangling in the main opposition party as prosecutors launch more and more investigations into DP members and pro-Roh Moo-hyun politicians. The investigations began in early September with the arrest of DP lawmaker Kim Jae-yun, 42, of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on charges of taking 300 million won in bribes. Lawmaker Lee Kwang-gae, 43, and Roh aide Lee Byung-wan, 54, who are both known to be close to the former president, are also on the investigation list. The lawmaker is allegedly involved in creating a 6.8 billion won slush fund for a construction company to lobby the Kangwon Land casino resort. The other Lee is suspected of embezzlement. Other DP lawmakers Baek Won-woo, 42, Byun Jae-il, 60, and Cho Jeong-sik, 45, were all recently indicted for violating election law. Permanent DP adviser Chyung Dai-chul, 64, will be also summoned next week on allegations he was bribed to influence the state-owned Korea National Oil Corporation. “We expected aggressive investigations, but this is too harsh,” said DP member Song Young-gil. “It is clearly a targeted investigation and an abuse of power.” By Im Jang-hyuk JoongAng Ilbo/ Park Sang-woo Staff Reporter [spark@joongang.co.kr] |
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