Yonsei to take Kim's foundation

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Yonsei to take Kim's foundation

Yonsei University is preparing to take over the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation, which has been the source of graft allegations, including one involving the president's second son, Kim Hong-up.

Park Jie-won, the Blue House chief of staff, and Kim Woo-sik, Yonsei University president, on Wednesday discussed details of the transfer. They are expected to sign an agreement next week.

The Blue House asked Yonsei to allow President Kim to continue his research at the foundation after his term of office expires and to operate the Kim Dae-jung library, which would take charge of presidential documents and memoranda.

The foundation is where President Kim worked out his "sunshine policy" toward North Korea. It provided a foothold for his return to politics in 1995. But critics charged that the president used the foundation as his personal vehicle.

The Grand National Party demanded that he dissolve the foundation after his second son, a foundation official, was arrested on bribery charges early this year. The foundation's research work was suspended after the president's Millennium Democratic Party was defeated in the June 13 local elections.

Yonsei University will create a leadership institute after the president hands over historical records and the foundation compound. "Most former presidents destroyed their records or took them to their private residences after completing their terms of office," said a university associate. "Yonsei University wants to research the presidency by collecting records of former presidents and of President Kim."

Yonsei University has secured the records of Syngman Rhee. It is reportedly negotiating with Kim Young-sam for his papers.

The Blue House did not confirm details of talks with Yonsei. "The Peace Foundation will be disposed of some way or other, but a concrete schedule has not been fixed yet," a presidential aide said.

by Kim Chong-hyuk, Lee Jung-min

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