South Korean prosecution Tuesday said it may call in Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee for questioning over allegations the conglomerate provided illegal campaign funds to presidential candidates ahead of the 1997 election.

Investigators Tuesday summoned Samsung vice chairman Lee Hak-soo, widely considered the No. 2 man at the group, to confirm whether he was involved in the fund provision as revealed by audiotapes of conversation eavesdropped by the nation's spy agency.

Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Hong Seok-hyun, the former publisher of Samsung-affiliated newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, resigned last month as his tapped conversation with Lee Hak-soo about the illegal campaign funds was reported by the media.

The prosecution is also considering whether to summon Hong for questioning.

As the wiretapping scandal erupted, People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) requested the prosecution investigate the three men and other former and current Samsung executives over their alleged corrupt ties with politicians.

Vice chairman Lee refused to comment on Samsung's bribery allegations Tuesday as he entered at the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office in Socho-dong, southern Seoul.

"We are considering bringing in the Samsung executives, including Lee Kun-hee and Hong Seok-hyun, for questioning. However, nothing is confirmed as of yet, as we are still in the early stage of the investigation and haven't decided on any detailed plans," said senior prosecutor Hwang Kyo-ahn, who leads the investigation.

The illegal funds surrounding Samsung first erupted last month, when local television station MBC reported the contents of wiretapped conversation between vice chairman Lee and Hong in 1997, which claimed that the two men discussed handing out illegal funds to two rival presidential candidates.

According to recovered transcripts of the audiotapes, Samsung offered about 10 billion won in illegal funds to Lee Hoi-chang, presidential candidate of then ruling Grand National Party (GNP) ahead of the 1997 elections.

The audiotapes obtained by the MBC were made by members of the spy agency's illegal wiretapping unit, which snooped on high-profile businessmen and politicians.

Source: Agencies