Court Decides to Have Ex-President to Testify on March 12


By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Former President Kim Young-sam is being targeted for his alleged involvement in a massive illegal fund scheme in 1996, in which government money was funneled to support candidates of the then-ruling New Korea Party (NKP) during the general elections that year.

A currently sitting Grand National Party (GNP) lawmaker, Kang Sam-jae, yesterday claimed he took 94 billion won ($80 million) that was earmarked for the state intelligence agency’s budget directly from Kim at the presidential office and gave it to the NKP, the predecessor of the GNP, for its elections campaigns.

Kang made the bombshell statement during an appeal court hearing over the high-profile fund diversion. He said the source of the 94 billion won was Kim, then-chairman of the NKP, and that he delivered the money to the NKP as the party’s secretary-general.

``President Kim didn’t make any comments on the origin of the money when he gave it to me,’’ Kang said. ``I became aware of what the money was after media reported it was the budget of the intelligence agency.’’

With the lawmaker’s claims, the appeal court decided to have the former president stand witness in the next hearing on March 12. Prosecutors said they would soon open a full probe to bring the allegations to light.

``I thought I was going to keep it a secret until the last moment of my life,’’ Kang said. ``But I decided to tell the truth on Saturday because it (keeping the incident a secret) is obviously a crime against the country and history.’’

A five-term GNP lawmaker, Kang announced his intention to quit politics last year when he was given a four-year prison term and a 73-billion-won fine by the Seoul District Court for planning to divert the spy agency’s money. He made an appeal and his case is now being reviewed by the Seoul High Court.

Former intelligence official Kim Ki-seop, who is also on trial over the same issue, refuted Kang’s claims. Kim renewed his previous claims that the decision on the agency’s budget was made by him, dismissing involvement of the former president.


jj@koreatimes.co.kr