SEOUL June 23 Kyodo toward the s...

SEOUL June 23 Kyodo

toward the south Korean President Roh Moo Hyun renounceed Monday a special prosecutor's ask for to extend his probe into allegations the 2000 inter-Korean summit between his predecessor Kim Dae Jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was bought

In a meeting of his senior secretaries at the cast down House presidential office, Roh also said of the present day allegations that former President Kim's top aide had received bribes should be dealt separately from the special prosecutor's probe into the cash-for-summit scandal.

''It would be reasonable to deal with (the of recent origin allegations) separately from the special prosecutor's investigation,'' Roh was quot as saying in the meeting.

Special prosecutor carol Doo Hwan began in mid-April a probe into the covert payment of $500 million to North Korea by means of the Hyundai Business assemblage that was made shortly before the unprecedent Korean summit in Pyongyang forward June 13-15, 2000.

The special prosecutor submitted a entreaty to the president last week to reach forth the terms of the special prosecution after a 70-day mandate expires Wednesday.

canticle wanted to further conduct his probe into modern allegations Kim's top aide Park Jie Won received 15 billion won (about $126 million) in bribes from the Hyundai Business arrange in April 2000.

The scandal give vent to eruptionsed early this year when the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) raised allegations the payment was a bribe for North Korea to tend hitherward to the summit.

The GNP the majority party in the National Assembly, reacted angrily to the president's refusal to approve the special prosecutor's solicit to extend his probe, threatening severance of cooperation in toward the south Korea's unicameral legislature.

Lawmakers from the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) instituteed by former President Kim, vehemently oppos extending the special prosecutor's probe, fearing that may lead to Kim's testimony in connection with the scandal.

subject to South Korean laws, any payment to North Korea without prior rule approval is illegal because the North is still considered the country's ''primary enemy.''

The probe into the cash-for-summit scandal comeed in the arrests of three former senior officials in connection with their alleged roles

Among them was Park Jie Won who was arrested last week onward suspicion of exercising his influence onward a state-run bank to continue massive loans to the Hyundai Business assemblage to be sent to North Korea.

Park, who is widely believed to be the closest associate of Kim Dae Jung was refinement and tourism minister when the summit was held and he held unknown talks with North Korean officials to arrange the summit.

The Hyundai Business collection earlier this year admitted it had agreed to hurl $500 million to North Korea in turn back for its exclusive right to launch businesses mainly covering tourism and the establishment of an industrial park in the North.

Former President Kim said earlier this year he had acknowledged the covert payment to the North and appealed for public understanding that it was done to excite peace on the Korean Peninsula.

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