SEOUL, Dec 29 (AFP) - International Olympic Committeevice-president Kim Un-Yong promised to co-operate fullyafter being summoned here Monday for questioning bySouth Korean prosecutors over corruption allegations.
I will tell everything to the prosecution,'' Kimtold journalists after arriving at the Seoul districtprosecutors office. Kim, one of South Korea's most powerful sportsleaders, has denied his involvement in corruptionallegations after prosecutors arrested a former localsports official accused of bribing him. Investigators did not confirm the exact nature of theallegations against Kim, but Yonhap news agency said the72-year-old faces grilling over corruption, embezzlementand taking foreign currency out of the country. Earlier this month, prosecutors arrested LeeKwang-Tae, a former Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) memberwho was in office from November 2000 to July 2002, for alleged corruption. Prosecutors have refused to confirm Lee's charges, butYonhap said Lee is suspected of providing 100 millionwon (84,170 dollars) to Kim to help secure his KOCmembership. The arrest came after investigators raided Kim's homeand office and seized a safe and documents. Kim said in a statement that he was innocent,denouncing local media reports which described him asa corrupt figure.’’
Kim, who is also head of the World TaekwondoFederation, was one of several IOC members implicated ina corruption investigation surrounding the 2002 SaltLake City Winter Olympics.
Kim’s 40-year-old son, John Kim, was freed by a courtin Bulgaria early this month after US authoritiesdropped their extradition demand on graft chargesrelated to the Salt Lake City Olympics.
The son was arrested in Sofia six months ago on anInterpol warrant issued by the US Justice departmentinvestigating allegations that he was helped by thecreation of a phoney job to gain a green card thatallowed him to work and live in the United States.
The case unravelled earlier this month when a US courtcleared Salt Lake City Olympic bid leaders Tom Welch andDave Johnson of bribing IOC members by offering themfree gifts, study grants and employment to familymembers.