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SEOUL, May 18: Police arrested South Korean President Kim Dae-jung’s youngest son on Saturday on charges of receiving more two million dollars in an alleged bribery and influence-peddling case.
The first-family controversy has sent shockwaves through South Korea just two weeks before the country co-hosts the World Cup soccer finals and in a vital election year for one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.
Kim Hong-gul, youngest of the 77-year-old president’s three sons, arrived back in Seoul from his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday to answer a summons for questioning by prosecutors investigating businessmen accused of financial misdeeds.
On Saturday, Seoul District Court issued an arrest warrant, and shortly after police detained the son.
“Kim Hong-gul is charged with receiving 66,000 shares worth 1.32 billion won ($1.05 million) in Tiger Pools from businessman Choi Kyu-sun to help the lottery company launch a lottery business,” said a court statement on the arrest warrant.
Kim Hong-gul is also accused of receiving 1.09 billion won in exchange for helping other business deals, said the statement.
“PROSECUTORS’ WORLD CUP”: Plainclothes police picked up Kim Hong-gul, who was wearing a suit but no tie and looked tired, and took him to a Seoul detention centre.
“I deeply apologise to the nation,” Kim told reporters in a televised comment as was taken away. He did not comment directly on the charges.
There was no immediate comment from the presidential Blue House.
When summoned for questioning on Thursday, Kim Hong-gul, 38, said he had disgraced his parents in his dealings with businessmen accused of financial misdeeds.
The scandal has hit the ruling party in the run-up to local elections in June and a presidential election on December 19, forcing President Kim to apologise and then to resign from the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP).
President Kim must step down in February because the constitution allows only a single five-year term.
South Korean media have dubbed the controversy the “Prosecutors’ World Cup” because it has come to a head just as the country is gearing up to co-host soccer’s global showcase tournament with Japan between May 31 and June 30.
Prosecutors say they plan to summon another son, Kim Hong-up, for questioning over a scandal involving alleged money-laundering and influence-peddling in business deals.
Kim Hong-up has denied wrongdoing.
The two sons have been linked to three influence-peddling cases involving business associates who are under arrest.
The president, a dissident who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his work on improving relations with North Korea, has not been accused of any wrongdoing.—Reuters
