YONHAP NEWS

(LEAD) Spy chief, presidential aide bribed by Samsung: priests

   SEOUL, March 5 (Yonhap) -- A group of priests on Wednesday accused South Korea's new spy chief and a senior aide to President Lee Myung-bak of having regularly taken bribes from Samsung Group.

   But the presidential office immediately denied the allegation, calling it "groundless."
In a nationally televised press conference, the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice alleged Kim Seong-ho, a former justice minister nominated as head of the National Intelligence Service; Lee Jong-chan, former Seoul High Prosecutors' Office chief appointed as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs; and Hwang Young-gi, former chairman of the Board of Woori Finance Holdings, took bribes from the conglomerate. Hwang was initially picked as head of the Financial Services Commission but he did not assume the post.

   "Lee Jong-chan was on Samsung's list of names to take care of and regularly took bribes. As the head of the High Prosecutors' Office, he himself even visited Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Hak-soo's office to receive money for his summer vacation," Father Jeon Jong-hun, representative of the progressive priests' organization, said.

   The potentially explosive announcement came as Lee was filling the posts of his inaugural administration, with Kim yet to receive approval from the National Assembly as the spy chief. The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae rushed to step in.

   "According to an internal investigation, the allegation that those who were named received bribes was found to be groundless," presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan told reporters.

   The priests seemed to have received the three names from a former lawyer for Samsung Group who raised a slew of corruption allegations against Samsung in November to initiate the ongoing independent probe. Kim Yong-chul, who worked for Samsung from 1997 to 2004, claimed last week that some officials of the Lee administration accepted bribes from Samsung.

   Even though bribe taking is grave enough in South Korea to deprive government officials of their jobs, it remained to be seen whether the priests' action would influence the Lee administration. The priests earlier claimed then Prosecutor-general nominee Lim Chai-jin had accepted bribes from Samsung, but Lim won approval from the parliament.

   "I've never been asked to show business favor or taken bribes" from Samsung, Kim Seong-ho said in a statement.

   A high-profile probe is under way against Samsung Group, which Kim alleged created a huge slush fund and regularly bribed government officials, judges and prosecutors.

   Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee was expected to undergo an unprecedented face-to-face questioning during the probe, even though the timing for his summons had yet to be set.

   Hong Seok-hyun, chairman of the mass circulation JoongAng Ilbo, a Samsung affiliate, and a brother-in-law of Lee, was summoned on Tuesday to face an interrogation. Jae-yong, Lee's only son and heir, was summoned last week.

   hkim@yna.co.kr
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