Lawmakers call for probe of Park aides

Lawmakers have called for a thorough investigation into allegations the spy agency regularly paid several close aides of ousted President Park Geun-hye while she was in office.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and other liberal parties claim that the payments were a form of bribery.

The prosecution is now zeroing in on Park after securing testimony from one of the aides that he received the money from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) at her direction.

The allegations were a hot topic during a National Assembly audit into the spy agency, Thursday.

On Tuesday, prosecutors detained two former presidential secretaries for Park — Ahn Bong-geun and Lee Jae-man.

The two are suspected of having received 1 billion won ($900,000) each annually, totaling 4 billion won, from the NIS between 2013 and 2016.

During questioning, Lee reportedly told prosecutors that he was told by Park to receive the money from the spy agency.

This indicates that the investigation could be expanded to the former president who was impeached earlier this year and is currently standing trial for a massive corruption scandal.

Separately, Ahn is suspected of personally receiving more than 10 million won from the NIS.

Both Ahn and Lee reportedly claimed they received the money for use in their management of state affairs, which is not illegal.

Prosecutors also believe Cho Yoon-sun and Hyun Ki-hwan, former senior presidential secretaries for political affairs under Park, received 5 million won every month when they held the posts at Cheong Wa Dae. Cho was in the position from June 2014 to May 2015, and Hyun, Cho’s successor, was in office for about a year.

“The prosecution’s investigation should unearth the truth behind illegal activities including the government using taxpayers’ money for itself,” DPK Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae said during a party meeting Wednesday. “Those who used the national budget without rules and principles should be firmly punished.”

The money given to Park’s aides was from the NIS budget allotted for so-called “costs for special activities.”

Such special funding is given to government agencies for use in activities requiring confidentiality, such as intelligence operations and investigations.

It is given in cash, and those who use the money are not required to submit receipts in their expense reports. Critics have pointed out it is hard to know whether officials use such money in accordance with its initial purpose, calling it a “black budget.”

Among other government agencies, the NIS spends most of this money. This year, 893.8 billion won was allocated to 20 government offices as costs for special activities. Of this, the NIS secured 493 billion won.

Justice Party Chairwoman Lee Jeong-mi said special funding given to the NIS should be reduced to root out the spy agency’s political intervention.

“The punishment of some people related to the allegations should not be the end of the issue. The national budget allocated to the NIS should be repaid,” she said during a party meeting Thursday.

As part of their investigation, prosecutors have searched the residences of three former NIS chiefs, including Nam Jae-joon, as well as Ahn, Lee and Cho to obtain evidence related to the allegations. Prosecutors also plan to question the three former NIS chiefs and Cho soon.

Their investigation is focused on why the former aides to Park received regular payments from the spy agency and who was the final recipient of such money.