Prosecutors claim to confirm illegal payoff by Seoul's education chief

(ATTN: ADDS prosecutors' arrest of professor in para 8-9)
SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors said Monday they have secured a statement from a local professor under investigation saying that he received a huge amount of money from Seoul's embattled school superintendent in return for stepping down as a candidate in last year's election for the post.
The Seoul prosecution has been investigating allegations that Kwak No-hyun, who was elected as the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in June last year, gave 200 million won (US$184,000) earlier this year to Park Myoung-gee, a professor at Seoul National University of Education, in return for his withdrawal from the race.



Kwak, during a news conference on Sunday, admitted that he gave Park the money with "good will" as the depressed professor was suffering from heavy debts after the election. He denied allegations that it was a reward for Park's decision to quit the race.
However, prosecutors said Park stated during an interrogation that Kwak promised to give him a certain amount of money in exchange for withdrawing his candidacy during the negotiating process for choosing a single candidate for the opposition bloc.
Park initially demanded 700 million won but ended up receiving 200 million won, according to prosecution officials.
The demanded amount was far more than the 500 million to 600 million won he is believed to have spent on his campaign until he resigned two weeks before the election day.
After the professor's statement supported their suspicions that 200 million won is too much to be seen as a "good will" gesture, prosecutors said they planned to question those involved in the money transmission and summon the local education chief within the week.
Meanwhile, prosecutors arrested in late Monday Kang Kyung-sun, a professor at Korea National Open University and close friend of Kwack, on suspicions of delivering the money to Park.
Prosecutors found evidence that shows Kang's role in the case when they searched his home and school office earlier in the day, officials said.
"There are lots of human testimony and material evidence," a prosecution official said, showing confidence in the arrest of Park as well as the probe of the education chief.
But prosecutors said they also confirmed that the two sides didn't sign a contract for the exchange.
Kwak would be punished if found to have paid to be the sole opposition candidate.
The election law requires a superintendent to be removed from office if fined over 1 million won for election law violations.
Kwak worked at his office as usual on Monday despite the widening probe into his suspected behind-the-scenes deal.
His aide flatly denied "as groundless" local daily reports that he was considering resignation over the probe.
"He will continue his normal routine," the aide said.


sshim@yna.co.kr