Lee, Sul investigations may expand
Prosecutors announced that they may widen their investigation into scandals surrounding former Grand National Party leader Lee Hoi-chang and Millennium Democratic Party member Sul Hoon.Last April, Mr. Sul accused Mr. Lee for allegedly accepting a bribe from Choi Gyu-seon, a businessman now imprisoned for corruption in connection with his personal ties to a son of the former President Kim Dae-jung. The GNP, in response, filed a defamation suit against Mr. Sul. But in a surprise move, Mr. Sul last week said that the Kim Dae-jung Blue House was behind his allegations, adding that a presidential secretary for the Kim administration had informed him of the alleged bribery.
In his inauguration yesterday, Song Kwang-soo, the new prosecutor-general, said, “I recently asked the head of the Seoul District Public Prosecutors Office why the office has not opened an investigation in response to Mr. Sul’s recent statements. Suh Young-je [head of Seoul’s prosecutors office] replied that they can easily open one once the GNP files another suit.”
The GNP argues that the Kim administration fabricated the bribery scandal last year to harm the popularity of the GNP presidential candidate Mr. Lee. Yoon Yeo-joon, a GNP lawmaker said yesterday that his party will file suit against former officials like chief of staff, Park Jie-won.
by Kim Seung-hyun
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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