Lee's former aides turn their backs on him

By Kim Rahn

The prosecution’s investigation into corruption allegations made against former President Lee Myung-bak is speeding up, mostly because of unfavorable testimony against him from former close aides.

Some spoke out of disappointment over their former boss’s poor treatment of them, while others cooperated with the prosecution to have their own punishment, as accomplices, reduced.

One of them is Kim Hee-joong, a former private secretary to Lee who worked with him since 1997; from when he was a lawmaker to becoming Seoul mayor and then president. At Cheong Wa Dae, he was the secretary taking care of the president’s personal affairs, managing all of his schedules and even his private life.

The prosecution recently launched an investigation into allegations that National Intelligence Service (NIS) officials misappropriated the agency’s budget to pay bribes to Cheong Wa Dae officials under the Lee administration.

While other figures involved ― former senior presidential secretary for administrative affairs Kim Paik-joon and another secretary Kim Jin-mo ― were arrested for allegedly receiving money from the NIS, Kim Hee-joong was not. During questioning, Kim reportedly said that Lee was aware of the bribery and part of it was given to then first lady Kim Yoon-ok.

Kim Hee-joong told prosecutors that he was ordered to receive 100 million won from the NIS in October 2011 ahead of Lee’s visit to the U.S., change it into dollars, and hand it over to another secretary taking care of the first lady. A lawmaker alleged the first lady used some of it to purchase luxury bags during the visit.

Those close to Kim Hee-joong say he turned against his former boss out of disappointment at Lee for not “taking care” of him when he was in trouble.

In 2012, Kim Hee-joong was jailed for receiving kickbacks from a savings bank head. He did not lodge an appeal out of expectation that Lee would help him be granted a pardon; but there was no amnesty and he was released in 2014 after serving his full term.

Two months before his release, his wife killed herself after suffering financial difficulties and other hardships. Kim Hee-joong was granted leave for the funeral, but Lee neither came to the funeral, nor sent flowers of condolence; he did not take care of the former secretary after the release either well, according to Chung Doo-un, also an estranged former aide to Lee.

“Kim may have felt a sense of betrayal,” Chung said. “Receiving such a cold shoulder from Lee, he has no reason to sacrifice himself for Lee anymore.”

In the investigation into a separate allegation surrounding DAS, a company through which Lee allegedly created a slush fund, the company’s former chief Kim Seong-woo also gave unfavorable testimony after supposedly changing his mind.

In an early probe conducted in 2008 when Lee was president-elect, Kim Seong-woo told prosecutors that Lee was unrelated to the company. But in the recent investigation, he said he lied back then and would now tell the truth. He said he reported the company affairs to Lee since its establishment and the former president gave him orders on personnel and accounting affairs.