Deaver’s Delivery of Reagan Note Told

Michael K. Deaver delivered a personal letter from President Reagan to South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan when negotiating to become a lobbyist for that country, a former U.S. ambassador to Seoul said in court Wednesday.

The former ambassador, Richard L. (Dixie) Walker, testified at Deaver’s trial on perjury charges related to his lobbying activities since leaving the White House staff. Walker said he and Deaver and Chun met at the Blue House, South Korea’s equivalent of the White House, on July 10, 1985.

Deaver handed the South Korean president an envelope and said: “I have a personal greeting to extend to you from our President,” Walker said.

Shortly after Deaver left the White House, he sought Walker’s advice about representing South Korean interests, Walker said.

Met ‘Key People’

The former ambassador said he advised Deaver in a May 29, 1985, cable that he should come to Seoul and meet with “key people” before signing any contract to represent the South Korean government.

The prosecution is trying to show that Deaver, who resigned as deputy White House chief of staff on May 10, 1985, traded on his friendship with Reagan and his influence in the Administration to obtain big lobbying accounts.

Deaver, who later signed a $475,000-a-year contract to represent an agency of the South Korean government, is accused of lying to a House subcommittee when he denied that he did anything to help a Korean trade envoy get an appointment with Reagan on Oct. 2, 1985.

Also testifying was former Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis, who was appointed a special U.S. envoy for the acid rain issue in March, 1985. Lewis said he had sought Deaver’s advice on how to deal with criticism from Reagan while he was discussing the acid-rain problem with Canada.

Acid-Rain Involvement

While Deaver was being paid $100,000 a year to lobby for Canada, he was consulting frequently with Lewis about a project to raise money for Reagan’s presidential library. Acid rain came up casually in their frequent conversations in the fall of 1985, Lewis said.

Deaver is accused of lying to a grand jury about his involvement in the choice of Lewis as the acid-rain envoy. He is accused of lying when he said he did not recall telephoning Lewis the day Reagan appointed him.

Lewis said he received a call from Deaver after Reagan had telephoned him with the job offer. Deaver wanted to know if Lewis should attend the March 17, 1985, meeting between Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Lewis said.