Party Tells Of Threats To Cadre

The opposition Grand National Party and the police are tightening security around Lee Hoi-chang, the party leader, after a series of threats of violence against other party officials.

Kwon Chul-hyun, the party's spokesman, displayed at a news conference Wednesday copies of threatening letters.

"As possible connections to organized crime are revealed in the parliamentary inspections into the Lee Yong-ho scandal, Representatives Chung Hyung-keun, Lee Ju-young and the wife of Representative Lee Won-chang have received threatening phone calls and letters," Mr. Kwon said. The three serve on the party's special anti-corruption committee.

The police in South Cholla province, looking into threats sent to Mr. Chung, said all of their leads so far have been dead-ends. One of the letters, they said, included the name Kim Hyung-wook. Police say they have identified 26 persons with that name in Kwangju, the provincial capital, but all were either students or workers who have no affiliation with organized crime. The name, they say, was probably false.

A close aide to the opposition leader, Lee Hoi-chang, said that tips about possible violence against Mr. Lee have streamed in, prompting the party to double security around him.

The police recently stepped up security around Mr. Lee's house in Jongno, Seoul, placing eight police officers around the perimeter of the home from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

by Kim Ji-soo