Names Revealed in Lee Case

Representatives of the main opposition Grand National Party have revealed the names of several ruling party officials accused of accepting bribes in connection with the Lee Yong-ho scandal.

During a National Assembly inquiry into the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office Tuesday, Representative Lee Ju-young of the main opposition Grand National Party charged that funds were passed from Lee Yong-ho, chairman of the G&G Group, to senior officials of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation for the Asia and Pacific Region and other members of the administration and ruling party.

The opposition, throughout the investigation into the scandal surrounding Lee Yong-ho, have said they have uncovered evidence － including a list that allegedly gives a detailed account of Mr. Lee's payments to top government officials － of a major bribery operation.

"Former National Intelligence Service official Kim Hyung-yoon received money that was later funneled to ruling party and administration officials," Mr. Lee of the GNP said.

He said the reason Mr. Kim was not summoned by prosecutors, even after they discovered that he received 50 million won ($38,000) from Lee Kyung-ja, vice chairman of Dongbang Mutual Savings and Finance, is because Mr. Kim collected funds for political units, and worked as the pipeline for funneling the funds.

Representative Lee then asked Shin Seung-nam, the prosecutor general and the main witness at the hearing, whether senior prosecutors overrode field prosecutors in the Lee Yong-ho case.

Mr. Shin said he "cannot confirm those suspicions."

Mr. Shin, whose brother is implicated in the scandal for allegedly having received two months' salary from one of Lee Yong-ho's companies, appeared to take a combative stand, while fighting hard to maintain his composure in the face of the accusations.

The top prosecutor said he did not know the details of his younger brother's involvement with Lee Yong-ho, suggesting that the opposition lawmakers might have more information on the case than he does.

A ruling party lawmaker assailed the prosecution over the case. Representative Hahm Seung-hee of the Millennium Democratic Party said, "This case is a result of appointing, from top to bottom, from the Justice Minister down, natives of the Cholla provinces."

by Kim Chong-hyuk