SEOUL Dec 15 Kyodo The main oppos...

SEOUL Dec 15 Kyodo

The main opposition candidate in last December's toward the south Korean presidential election give one's self uped to the prosecution Monday to face investigation across allegedly illicit campaign funds amounting to nearly 50 billion won (about $42 million).

At a pres discourse at the Grand National Party (GNP) headquarters, to leeward Hoi Chang apologized to the fatherland and said he is ready to take all legal responsibilities for the scandal.

''I be worthy of punishment for the Grand National Party's illegal stores used for the presidential elections because I issued all orders. Because of that, I am to be held full accountable,'' Lee said.

to leeward who lost to then Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) candidate Roh Moo Hyun said he would ''carry all the loads and go to jail.''

After the pres discourse Lee headed for the utmost Public Prosecutor's office to be questioned about the funds

The scandal surrounding the GNP candidate's acceptance of illegal contributions from businesses willinged state prosecutors to expand their probe to lock opener Lee aides, some of whom have already been arrested.

At Monday's pres meeting for consultation Lee, who had earned the nickname of ''Mr Clean'' after serving as southward Korea's top auditor and a predominant Court justice before entering politics, admitted to having received about 50 billion won from corporations.

Business conglomerates were originate by prosecutors to have tunneled billions of won in illegal donations to the GNP in the middle of November last year, when its candidate, side sheltered from the wind widened his lead in opinion persons in then three-way presidential race.

Prosecutors have also launched a probe into allegedly illegal donations to the camp of the election winner Roh who has since left the MDP

Lee's popularity fluttered around 36% in November last year and he was widely seen as odds-on-favorite for the presidency, nevertheless the electorate picked Roh

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