Prosecutors to grill Kim Hyo-jae over alleged vote-buying in 2008 ruling party leadership election


Prosecutors plan to question on Wednesday a former aide to President Lee Myung-bak who is accused of being deeply involved in alleged vote-buying during a 2008 leadership election for the ruling party.

“He has been summoned to appear at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office by 9:30 a.m. Wednesday,” a prosecution official said Sunday, referring to Kim Hyo-jae.

The 60-year-old Kim resigned Friday from his position as a senior presidential secretary on political affairs.

Kim is accused of orchestrating the bribery of party lawmakers to help Rep. Park Hee-tae become head of the ruling party, while working as Park’s strategist.

The probe into the scandal has gathered pace recently after another member of Park’s camp confessed to having accepted a bribe returned by a lawmaker, Rep. Koh Seung-duk, and reported it to Kim.

Kim had reacted angrily, the former Park aide said, according to local reports.
The scandal broke out last month upon the revelation by Rep. Koh that he received, and later returned, an envelope stuffed with 3 million won and Park’s business card shortly before the ruling party’s national convention to elect a new leader.

Park won the leadership election and was the party chief for nearly 2 years. In October 2010, he became the Speaker of the National Assembly. But he stepped down from the post last week as the prosecutorial probe zeroed in on him.

Both Kim and Park deny any wrongdoing.

The investigators are expected to subpoena Park once they finish interrogating Kim.

The probe into alleged corruption at the very core of the conservative ruling bloc is a heavy blow to President Lee as well as the ruling camp.

The Saenuri, or New Frontier Party, was known as the Grand National Party until recently, having been renamed as part of its efforts to renew its image ahead of a crucial parliamentary election in April.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)