Lawmaker Faces Charges

The Seoul District Prosecutors Office on Tuesday indicted but did not detain Rep. Chung Hyung-keun of the opposition Grand National Party on several charges, including defamation. Prosecutors found groundless Mr. Chung's claim that President Kim Dae-jung received $10,000 from North Korea via Suh Kyung-won, Mr. Kim's aide, who made an illegal visit to the North in 1988.

They also accused Mr. Chung of beating Mr. Suh during an interrogation after his return from North Korea. In 1989, when Mr. Suh was questioned, Mr. Chung headed the bureau of the National Security Planning Agency in charge of investigating alleged communist sympathizers.

The prosecution also charged that Mr. Chung falsely accused President Kim of striking a secret deal with former President Roh Tae- woo to avoid being indicted for accepting the money from North Korea. Mr. Chung reportedly called Mr. Kim "a person who employs the tactics of North Korean guerrillas."

Prosecutors also said Mr. Chung denigrated the president's reputation by saying that his intelligence chief, Lee Jong-chan, in 1999 submitted to the president a confidential report outlining strategies for how the Blue House could better control the media. They said that the report never actually existed.

The prosecution's announcement directly contradicts the result of the investigation of Mr. Suh in 1989. Then, prosecutors indicted Mr. Suh on charges of illegally visiting North Korea and receiving money from North Korea to help fund its operations in the South.

Political observers said Tuesday's announcement means prosecutors in 1989 did not consider all of the evidence and distorted the incident.

Mr. Suh has said that he was coerced by authorities into giving false testimony.

by Cheong Yong-whan