More Blue House Officials Talked To Project Chief

Lee Sang-ho, former chief of the Incheon International Airport's development project team, had phone conversations with two additional Blue House officials, prosecutors said Monday.

Mr. Lee was detained last week after he claimed that Kook Joong-ho, a former official at the Blue House Office of Civil Affairs, pressured him to favor a consortium led by President Kim Dae-jung's relative during the contractor selection process for the development of areas around the airport.

The prosecution had said that no politicians or government officials other than Mr. Kook pressured Mr. Lee.

Prosecutors said Mr. Lee talked with the two Blue House officials, who were not identified, on July 30 when the bid evaluation panel decided on the priority negotiating partner. A consortium called Wonik was selected while Airport 72, led by the brother-in-law of President Kim's eldest son, was the runner-up.

Because Mr. Kook's phone conversations with Mr. Lee turned out to be not a part of routine business, analysts suspect he was told by someone above him at the Blue House to make the calls. They also question why prosecutors have delved extensively into Mr. Kook's alleged wrongdoing, but have not investigated any other officials of the presidential office.

Unlike his conversations with Mr. Kook, however, Mr. Lee initiated the phone calls with the other two officials. Because of the timing of the conversations － all three took place just before and just after Mr. Lee was fired on July 23 － analysts believe Mr. Lee called one of the two officials to seek protection from Mr. Kook and others who supported Airport 72. The unnamed officials reportedly favored the Wonik bid.

The Inchon District Prosecutors Office remained tight-lipped about how the investigation into the matter will proceed. The Blue House also had no comment other than to confirm that the two officials still hold their positions in the Office of Civil Affairs.

by Chung Young-jin