The head of the Grand National Party Planning Committee, Kim Mun-soo alleged Wednesday that Millennium Democratic Party presidential candidate Roh Moo-hyun purchased 992 square meters of real estate in Gimhae Gyeongnam Province for W250 million through his brother in July 1998, but failed to report this to the National Assembly's yearly assets audit. Kim said the value of the land had risen to close to W3 billion.

He continued that 6,448 square meters of land in Gojae was also registered as belonging to Roh's brother, but this April was transferred into the MDP candidate's name. Kim said the land was in a national maritime park and so building was restricted, however, a license was granted to the family in May 1998 when Roh was vice-president of the MDP. He went on to note that a building inspection was completed there in November 2000 during Roh's tenure as the minister of maritime affairs and fisheries, and the land was re-designated from farming to housing in May 2002 following his confirmation as presidential candidate.

The opposition party said in January 1989, Roh's wife acquired information on real estate development in Busan, and bought land upon which she made more than W100 million in speculative profits. The GNP presented documentation to back up its claim.

The MDP replied that Roh had effectively abandoned ownership of the first batch of land in Gimhae to his brother, who had helped him financially, and the second lot actually belonged to his brother. It added that when Roh's wife bought land the development plan was already present.

MDP Spokesman Lee Nak-yon said the GNP was circulating documents containing "25 suspicions on Roh" and on his character, and said the oppositions allegations on illegal surveillance by the National Intelligence Service was concocted by a US PR firm.

(Choi Joon-seok, jschoi@chosun.com )