Former KCC chairman’s heart surgery may delay detainment


The court will decide on the arrest of former Korea Communications Commission chairman Choi See-joong on Monday, on charges of accepting bribes from a construction developer.

The 75-year-old former broadcasting and telecom regulator with close ties to President Lee Myung-bak is suspected of having received 800 million won ($700,000) from his long-time friend some five years ago in return for leveraging his influence in getting a complex construction named Picity approved by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Choi has denied the charges and said he only received 200 million from the friend, Lee Dong-ryul, for personal use.

The Seoul Central District Court will review the validity of the request for the arrest of Choi submitted by the prosecutors on Thursday upon reportedly securing enough evidence against him.

The Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office is also accelerating its probe into former Vice Knowledge and Economy Minister Park Young-joon, who is also suspected of receiving bribes from Picity.

The prosecutors are currently tracing the bank accounts of Park and people around him based on the testimonies that then-Picity president Lee Jeong-bae gave around 1 billion won to Park in early 2008.

Prosecutors are expected to summon Park for questioning early this week once the account-tracking and analysis of data confiscated from Park’s home and offices last week is completed.

Choi and Park, both highly-trusted aides of the president, have been implicated in various scandals and allegations throughout their terms in the administration. But this is considered the first time for them to be directly placed under the prosecutors’ tab.

The prosecutors’ determination to take Choi into custody, however, could face difficulties as it was reported that Choi has scheduled a cardiovascular-related surgery on May 14.

Choi reportedly explained the surgery had been planned a long time ago and is not intended as a ploy to avoid arrest.

While Choi may not be able to dodge an arrest completely, he may seek a suspension of detainment citing his health problems, reports said.

The investigation, in the meantime, is likely to spread to Seoul City officials upon suspicions that the city government allegedly pressed for the approval of the Picity construction plan despite opposition from within, such as its urban planning commission concerned over traffic situation in the area.

The prosecutors said they served former Seoul City official Kang Cheol-won with a summons on Sunday. Kang, who used to head the city’s political affairs, allegedly received a request from Park Young-joon “to check how the Picity licensing is progressing” in 2007. The prosecutors deem that Kang’s testimony will be critical in verifying Park’s alleged influence-peddling. Kang, reportedly in China at present, was not reachable and the prosecutors notified his family of the summons instead.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)