Mayor, tycoon, justice spied upon

Prosecutors fail to determine whether President was told about massive surveillance

By Kim Rahn

The government illegally monitored former Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, according to the prosecution Wednesday.

Announcing the results of its three-month investigation into the surveillance of citizens critical of the government, prosecutors said a special unit of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) monitored big names in politics, business and society, moving beyond its original remit of inspecting civil servants.

But its re-investigation failed to prove the allegation that Cheong Wa Dae masterminded the illegal monitoring and destruction of related evidence. The second probe was begun after former PMO staffer Chang Jin-soo made the allegation; the initial one was concluded in July 2010.

The ruling Saenuri Party, which has apparently distanced itself from Cheong Wa Dae as it prepares for December’s presidential election, said it will mull over appointing an independent counsel to clear suspicions.

The presidential office expressed regret over the involvement of its staff in the illegal monitoring, saying, “We’ll make efforts to ensure that such a thing won’t happen again.“

At a press briefing, a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said, “Figures monitored by the PMO unit include the former chief justice, the Samsung chairman, the Seoul mayor, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo and Incheon Mayor Song Young-gil.

Former Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho, former POSCO President Yoon Seok-man, ex-police chief Eo Cheong-soo, former MBC President Eom Ki-young, Buddhist monk Boseon and dozens of former and incumbent politicians were also targets.

“But the monitoring on them was just collecting information through hearsay or Internet sources. The activity is not subject to criminal charges,” he said.

The prosecution also found that former Knowledge Economy Vice Minister Park Young-june, who was at the PMO when the surveillance activities were taking place, ordered surveillance on officials of Ulsan Metropolitan City Government and several private companies in return for money from rival companies over a construction project. He also had the former Chilgok County head monitored.

Park has already been arrested on charges of bribery in a separate case surrounding the Picity development project in southern Seoul. With the illegal surveillance, he had abuse of authority charges added.

But prosecutors said they didn’t find evidence Park ordered the destruction of related evidence.

Former presidential secretary for labor Lee Young-ho was indicted for the same charges as Park. He was also accused of ordering one of his juniors and former PMO staffer Chang to destroy evidence when the scandal first emerged.

Prosecutors, however, didn’t find the source of 50 million won, which Chang claimed one of his superiors at the PMO gave him last year as hush money. Chang claimed not only the superior but also others including Lee Young-ho offered him money in exchange for keeping quiet about the illegal surveillance.

Despite the new findings, the prosecution is expected to be criticized for failing to prove top-ranking government figures as being involved in the activities.

Some denounced the prosecutors as “unwilling” because they didn’t question Justice Minister Kwon Jae-jin, who was senior presidential secretary for civil affairs when the presidential civil affairs office allegedly orchestrated the evidence destruction.

They also only accepted written statements from former presidential chiefs of staff Yim Tae-hee and Chung Jung-gil. The two were suspected of having offered hush money to Chang and the others involved.