for the President, that Ahn Hee-jung received 1 billion Korean Won of illegal fund from March through August of 2003, and the allegations of Yeo Taek-su and Yang Gil-seung. However, none of the evidence submitted throughout the proceedings in this case supports the allegation that the respondent directed or abetted the above Choi Do-sul and others in receiving the illegal funds or was otherwise illegally involved therein. Therefore, the alleged grounds for impeachment premised on the above are meritless. The rest of the alleged grounds for impeachment are based on facts that occurred prior to the respondent's inauguration as President and are thus clearly irrelevant to the respondent's performance of official duties as President. Therefore, such alleged grounds are invalid without further reviewing the facts as to whether the respondent was involved in the alleged reception of illegal funds. (4) Publicly declaring retirement from politics Pursuant to the acknowledged fact, the respondent publicly declared, at the party representative meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on December 14, 2003, that the respondent would retire from politics should the amount of illegal political funds received by his election camp exceed one-tenth of that received by the Grand National Party at the time of the presidential election. However, such statement was made risking his political trustworthiness facing a political situation and, as such, can hardly be deemed as a statement creating any legal obligation or responsibility. The question of whether to keep such promise is merely a matter for political and moral judgment and responsibility on the part of the President as a politician and cannot constitute an act of violating the Constitution or statutes in the President's performance of his official duties. (5) Remark relating to the investigation by the prosecutors' office The alleged ground for impeachment contending that the respondent interfered with and obstructed the investigation by the prosecutors' office by, for example, making a statement at the year-end luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae on December 30, 2003 that "I would have been able to twice grind up the prosecution had I meant to kill the prosecution, but I did not." However, this allegation was not included in the National Assembly's original impeachment resolution and is thus deemed to have been added subsequently, therefore it cannot be a subject matter in this impeachment adjudication. - 192 -