Hong will be summoned tomorrow

S. Gyeongsang governor could be locked up after questioning

By Kim Rahn

Prosecutors said Wednesday they will question South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo Friday for allegedly taking bribes from the late former Keangnam Enterprises Chairman Sung Woan-jong.

He will be the first to face a summons among eight politicians that Sung, who committed suicide in early April, listed as having accepted kickbacks.

Officials from a special investigation team said Hong, a prosecutor-turned-politician, will be called in as a “suspect,” which indicates that he could be put behind bars after questioning.

Hong allegedly received 100 million won from Sung in June 2011 when he was campaigning to become the leader of the Grand National Party, the predecessor of the ruling Saenuri Party.

Before the governor, prosecutors questioned Yun Seung-mo, former Keangnam vice president, four times over his alleged delivery of the money from Sung to Hong. Yun was an outside director of the company at that time and was helping Hong’s campaign.

Yun told prosecutors that his wife gave him a ride to the National Assembly building with a paper bag containing 100 million won in cash, and that he offered it to one of Hong’s aides, Na Gyeong-beom, there. He claimed that Hong was also present.

Following Yun’s testimony, the prosecution questioned Na, who was in charge of finance for the campaign, and an aide to Hong, surnamed Kang, Monday.

It also summoned another aide, Kim Hae-soo, former Korea Construction Management Corp. CEO. He is suspected of calling Yun after the investigation started and trying to persuade him to lie to investigators.

Prosecutors interrogated Kim about whether he was involved in the alleged bribery and if he tried to get Yun to lie.

While the prosecution says it collected enough evidence to prove the allegation against Hong, the former prosecutor has denied the suspicions, presenting his own legal logic.

He raised doubt over the list’s credibility, saying it could not be used as evidence because as Sung killed himself, there was no possibility of cross examination and therefore the list was inadmissible.

The governor has also claimed that Yun himself, or others, took the money instead of delivering it to him, saying such things often happen in politics.

As a prosecutor, Hong gained popularity with an image of “corruption fighter” after he led a graft investigation into former lawmaker Park Chul-un, who was an aide to former President Roh Tae-woo in 1993.

A mega-hit television drama in 1995, “Hourglass,” dealt with the case, helping Hong rise to fame.

In the related probe, the prosecution summoned a man who worked as a volunteer for former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo when Lee was campaigning for a by-election in 2013.

Before committing a suicide, Sung claimed that he gave 30 million won to Lee at Lee’s election camp office in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province ― an allegation Lee denies.

The former volunteer, surnamed Han, told a local broadcaster that he witnessed Sung talking with several of Lee’s aides at the office.