Ex-Gwangju mayor summoned for questioning

Former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun answers questions from the press upon his arrival at the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office, Monday, before being questioned over his alleged influence peddling and violation of the Election Law. / Yonhap

By Kim Jae-heun

Former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun was questioned by the prosecution Monday over an alleged violation of the Election Law and influence peddling.

He appeared at Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, a day after returning from Nepal where he was doing volunteer work.

“I am sorry to have caused worries over my unwise decision. I apologize as a former mayor to the citizens of Gwangju,” Yoon said at a press conference before facing prosecutors. “I will commit myself to the investigation based on facts and tell no lies. If there is something I need to take responsibility for, I will do so.”

Last December, Yoon was swindled out of 450 million won by a 49-year-old scammer surnamed Kim, who claimed to be the former first lady Kwon Yang-sook, the widow of President Roh Moo-hyun.

Kim asked to borrow the money, and Yoon, believing it was really Kwon, took out 350 million won in bank loans and borrowed the remaining 100 million won from an undisclosed acquaintance to give to her.

People became suspicious of Yoon's motive for sending the money to Kim, leading the prosecution to suspect he was trying to curry favor with Roh's former aides in the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to win a nomination in the June local elections.

At the time Yoon was considering running for a second term; but during the party primary he withdrew his bid.

“I never talked about the election directly with the woman. If she had suggested helping me win a party nomination in the first place, I'd have become suspicious about her and things would have not come this far,” he told reporters.

Yoon said he lent Kim the money only out of sympathy. He did not reveal to reporters who he had borrowed the 100 million won from, only saying he would tell the prosecution.

Yoon is also accused of abusing his power to find jobs for Kim's daughter and son, who she said were Roh's illegitimate children.

Kim visited Yoon at his office a few times, telling him that she was the foster mothers of Roh's illegitimate children.

The former mayor got the son a job at a Gwangju City-affiliated organization and the daughter at a private middle school in the city.

Yoon acknowledged his influence peddling for the two children.

Kim had text messaged 10 other politicians pretending she was Kwon or current first lady Kim Jung-sook and requested money. Yoon was the only one deceived.

The prosecution indicted Kim last Friday on fraud charges.