S. Korea Corruption Probe Results in 47 Arrests; 8 Are Chun Relatives

The prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday that it has concluded an investigation of corruption under Chun Doo Hwan, the former president of South Korea, after arresting 47 people, including eight of Chun’s relatives.

No charges were brought against Chun, and the prosecutor’s office said it will not delve into allegations of fund-raising irregularities involving Chun or his wife.

The political opposition, which is conducting a separate fact-finding inquiry in the National Assembly, quickly attacked the integrity of the criminal investigation and renewed calls for the appointment of a nonpartisan special prosecutor.

Denies ‘Outside Influence’

“The prosecutors could not even touch the essential issue in (Chun regime) corruption because of its ties to the current administration,” said Kang In Sop, vice president of the Reunification Democratic Party. “It’s our impression that those who are close to (President) Roh Tae Woo have been exempted from punishment.”

Park Chong Chul, a senior prosecutor heading a special investigative team responsible for the investigation, denied that there had been any “outside influence” on the prosecutor’s office, which technically is under the direct control of the president.

“The probe may not have covered all suspicions--that was partly due to the limit to investigation of political funds,” Park told reporters. “But we believe we have done our best.”

Park said his special investigative team of 135 people was being disbanded after arresting 47 suspects and indicting 29 others without detention in connection with 19 cases of bribery, embezzlement and coercive fund-raising.

He said the investigation will continue, however, on two unresolved cases--allegations that Lee Keun Ahn, a police captain who has gone into hiding, tortured political suspects including prominent dissident Kim Keun Tae, and allegations of embezzlement against Yoon Sok Min, former president of Korea Shipping Corp.

The crackdown on Chun’s relatives and cronies began shortly after Roh’s inauguration nearly a year ago with the arrest of Chun Kyung Hwan, 46, younger brother of the authoritarian and unpopular former president. The inquiry culminated last Friday with the arrest of Chang Se Dong, formerly head of Chun’s presidential security command and later his intelligence chief.

The younger Chun’s case has been the only one to go to trial so far. He was convicted of embezzlement as head of the Saemaul Movement, an official rural development agency, and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Chun’s older brother, Chun Ki Hwan, 59, was arrested in connection with graft related to the operation of Seoul’s central fish market; two cousins, a brother-in-law and a nephew were among others in the clan charged with various financial wrongdoings.

Two former Cabinet ministers and a ruling party National Assembly member were also arrested.

Donations for Institute

The charges against Chang, once one of the most powerful men in South Korea, centered on allegations that he and others extorted “donations” from private businesses to support the Ilhae Institute, a private foundation that Chun reputedly had intended to use as a power base after stepping down last February.

After public furor mounted over disclosures of corruption and abuse of power during his rule of nearly eight years, Chun was forced to make an emotional apology to the nation last November and retire in disgrace to rural exile at a Buddhist temple.

President Roh subsequently appealed for forgiveness of Chun, once his political mentor and classmate in the Korean Military Academy. Public opinion has since been divided as to whether Chun should be pardoned or prosecuted. A majority of South Koreans believe that Chun should at least be forced to testify about his alleged misdeeds.

It was far from clear whether the controversy will wind down after Tuesday’s announcement by the prosecutor’s office, which came while all three major opposition leaders were traveling outside the country.

Wanted Probe of 5

The three leaders--Kim Dae Jung, Kim Young Sam and Kim Jong Pil--agreed last week that they would not be satisfied with the results of the criminal investigation unless allegations against five other key figures linked to Chun were also fully explored. Among the five are Chung Ho Yong, commander of a division of paratroopers involved in the brutal suppression of the 1980 Kwangju uprising; Lee Hee Sung, former martial-law commander under Chun, and Ahn Mu Hyok, a former intelligence chief.

Roh’s ruling Democratic Justice Party has rejected the opposition demand for the appointment of a special prosecutor under supervision of the National Assembly, saying such an arrangement would violate the constitutional separation of the three branches of government.