S. Korean Ex-Leader Denies Being Bribed : Asia: Former President Roh tells prosecutors that his huge slush fund was not the result of corruption. But he reveals little else.

Despite an interrogation that ended early today after more than 16 hours, former President Roh Tae Woo denied that money he received for a $653-million slush fund was bribery, and he claimed faulty memory when asked about providing campaign funds for his successor, President Kim Young Sam.

Roh also refused to name any of the business people in more than 50 giant conglomerates that dominate the South Korean economy who, he admitted, delivered contributions to him regularly.

News of Roh’s tight-lipped testimony stirred new demands from the public that Kim reveal details about funds Roh may have provided for his 1992 campaign. But it produced a collective sigh of relief in the business community and much of the political world tainted by Roh’s revelations about his slush fund.

Longtime democracy advocate Kim Dae Jung has admitted receiving $2.6 million from Roh in 1992 for his third unsuccessful presidential campaign. President Kim has dodged questions about his own campaign funds but insists that he was ignorant of the slush fund even after he left the opposition and joined forces with Roh to create a new ruling party in 1990.

Lee Chung Soo, a prosecution investigator, told reporters after the interrogation that Roh had been “uncooperative.” He said Roh, the first South Korean chief executive ever summoned for questioning by prosecutors, consistently answered questions by saying “I don’t know,” “I can’t say anything about it” or “I don’t remember well.”

That’s why the interrogation took “more time than we expected,” Lee said.

Roh arrived at the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. The interrogation ended at 2:22 a.m. today, with a 90-minute break for lunch and 60 minutes for dinner. Although several lawyers for Roh accompanied him to the prosecution headquarters, none was permitted to sit in on the questioning.

Visibly exhausted, the 63-year-old former president emerged from the building to tell reporters: “I am really sorry for the people. I am responsible for everything. I would like to express my bottomless regrets again to the people.”

Supported by an aide as he got into the back seat of his car, Roh slumped against the shoulder of his bodyguard as the car pulled away.

Lee said Roh denied taking money from business people in exchange for approval of large-scale construction projects such as nuclear power plants, an offshore international airport and a telecommunications company; of a high-speed railway between Seoul and the city of Pusan, and of the purchase of 120 F-16 jet fighters.

Roh said the money he received was donated voluntarily, often on special occasions such as the autumn harvest festival, other prosecutors said.

Korean media reported that prosecutors planned to start summoning business people for questioning today. Another interrogation of Roh will be conducted later, the investigators reportedly added.

“This is a disgraceful and shameful day in our history,” declared the anchorman for the 9 p.m. news show of KBS, the government radio and TV network, as interrogation of Roh entered its 11th hour.

“I’m sorry to trouble you with my case,” Roh was quoted as telling Ahn Kang Min, director of the central investigation bureau of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, who met Roh in his office before the interrogation began.

Prosecutors, who prepared more than 70 questions based on a statement Roh submitted Monday about his slush fund, asked him how he set up the fund, how much money he received and from whom, and for what purpose he used it, the newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reported.

On Friday, Roh revealed that he had amassed the presidential slush fund to help him “govern” South Korea. He said he still has $242 million of the fund.

Chi Jung Nam of The Times’ Seoul Bureau contributed to this report.