Criminal Tax Charges Hinted For 7 Media Firms, Executives

Ahn Jung-nam, commissioner of the National Tax Service, hinted on Monday at criminal prosecution on tax-evasion charges for seven national media companies and their executives as he appeared before the National Assembly.

"Of the 23 media companies that underwent tax inquiry, we have not notified seven of their fines," Mr. Ahn said. "Those are likely to be the media companies that we may sue for tax evasion."

He admitted that the central tax agency had tracked financial ac-counts of media executives. "But the executives know the reason why their accounts were looked into," Mr. Ahn said.

He did not give a specific date, but sources suggested that the government would file charges with the prosecution by Thursday.

The commissioner spoke confidently, almost defiantly, in response to opposition party charges that the government is trying to harass the press.

"There will be no problem in collecting the 505.6 billion won [$390 million] in back taxes," Mr. Ahn said.

"I hope the media companies as well as social leaders take this opportunity for self-reflection," the commissioner continued. "It will only contribute to democracy, and there will be no media companies going belly up. The back taxes and fines have not been inflated. I have not received one cup of coffee from media companies. Only water."

He denied consulting top government officials at the Ministry of Finance and Economy, and the top presidential aides at the Blue House.

Mr. Ahn expressed his regret that none of the legislators commended him and his agency on the lengthy process.

Legislators from the Grand National Party heckled Mr. Ahn, asking him, "Are you the administration's puppet?" Representatives Chung Kyun-hwan and Ahn Taek-soo of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party sprang to the defense, taking hot issue with the comment.

by Ko Jung-ae