Interrogation focuses on source of 200 million won paid to Park


Seoul’s education chief Kwak No-hyun faced a second day of interrogation by prosecutors Tuesday on allegations that he bribed a rival candidate out of the race during last year’s education election.

Following the interrogation, prosecutors at the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office are likely to seek a court warrant for his arrest for breach of election rules, sources at the office said.

Investigators are almost decided on his indictment, although Kwak has continually denied any wrongdoing, they added.

He confessed to giving 200 million won to Park Myoung-gee, an arrested professor of Seoul National University of Education, who withdrew his candidacy just two weeks before the vote in support of Kwak. 

The superintendent insists that the money was a gesture of goodwill, not a kickback payment in return for the withdrawal.

Kwak, looking tired, arrived at the prosecutors’ office in Seochodong, southern Seoul, just few minutes before 2 p.m., again greeted by a mixed crowd of supporters, opponents and the media. He went straight to the interrogation room.

The previous day’s questioning lasted more than 16 hours to end at around 3:30 a.m.

According to Kwak’s attorney, the interrogators had focused their questions on talks between the election camps of Kwak and Park in the final days leading up to Park’s withdrawal.

They suspect that aides of the two camps struck a deal on behalf of their bosses and reported it to them. Kwak, however, claims that his staff were not authorized to make such a deal and that he was not aware of the agreement until last October.

Tuesday’s interrogation will focus on the source of the 200 million won, while digging further into negotiations between the two camps for candidacy unification.

Kwak may be put face-to-face with Park, who claims that the two had an agreement on monetary compensations worth 700 million won and appointment of him as the chief advisor to the education office. Park in June was named a member of the advisory committee.

According to a local newspaper, Kwak borrowed 100 million won from an acquaintance, half of the 200 million won he had his friend deliver to the brother of Park in four installments between February and April this year.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)