GNP irate over charge source

The Grand National Party was furious yesterday after being told that the Kim Dae-jung Blue House was behind accusations that its former leader, Lee Hoi-chang, had allegedly accepted $200,000 from a corrupt businessman.
Representative Sul Hoon of the Millennium Democratic Party said Wednesday during testimony in a defamation suit that Kim Hyon-sup, the civic affairs presidential secretary for the Kim administration, had informed him last April of the alleged bribery.
Mr. Sul made the accusations public, a move which greatly embarrassed Mr. Lee before his bid for presidency last winter.
Mr. Lee was accused of allegedly accepting a bribe from Choi Gyu-seon, a businessman now imprisoned for corruption in connection with his personal ties to the former President Kim’s son. Mr. Sul said he had a tape that proved the bribery, but he could not provide material evidence.
In making the accusations public, Mr. Sul had argued that Representative Yoon Yeo-joon of the Grand National Party delivered the bribe. Mr. Yoon then filed a defamation suit against Mr. Sul, denying the allegation. Wednesday marked the first day of the defamation suit, held in Seoul District Court.
“The then-Blue House civil affairs secretary, Kim Hyon-sup, telephoned me and told me that Mr. Choi had bribed Mr. Lee,” Mr. Sul stated in court. “I believed him because he was a Blue House aide.” Mr. Kim reportedly has said he did talk to Mr. Sul.
Mr. Kim left the country after the Kim administration ended. He is currently working as a researcher for the Heritage Foundation in Washington. Mr. Kim had worked for the Kim Blue House for five years, following a strong recommendation from the former presidential chief of staff, Park Jie-won.
The Grand National Party protested vigorously after learning that the Kim Blue House was behind the charges. “The last presidential election was influenced by the Kim Dae-jung Blue House and the Millennium Democrats,” said Kim Young-iel, the GNP secretary general. “Representative Sul should step down from his assembly post.”
Mr. Kim said higher Blue House officials in the last administration must have been behind the accusation. The Grand National Party is reportedly considering a National Assembly investigation into the matter.

by Chun Young-gi