KOREAGATE

Prosecutors have called former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo in for a second round of questions about his finances in an investigation that could determine the fate of current president Kim Young-sam. The embattled ex-president, whom some prominent compatriots have openly advised to commit suicide, could face criminal prosecution on charges of maintaining an illegal slush fund. Roh has admitted to collecting $650 million while in office, but says he was following in the footsteps of his predecessors, who routinely used the slush fund to finance election campaigns, to bribe opposition politicians and to invest for personal profit. The real fallout could come if prosecutors discover that Kim Young-sam, elected in 1992 as an anti-graft crusader, accepted money from Roh. But although the president insists he has taken "not a single cent" from Roh's funds, most Koreans seem to think he's lying: public opinion polls show that 74 percent believe he took money from Roh during the elections, and 70 percent think he is still receiving payments.