Opposition Lawmaker Arrested on Bribery Charge

A leading member of the main opposition Democratic Party`s decision-making Supreme Council, Kim Min-seok, was arrested yesterday on the charge of accepting political bribes.

Prosecutors applied for an arrest warrant for him Oct. 29.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant, saying, "There is considerable evidence that he violated the Political Fund Law. He is also likely to destroy evidence given the way he took the illegal donation, his relations with the donors, and his attitude toward the investigation and its results."

Prosecutors said Kim received 471 million won (310,890 U.S. dollars) in bribes from two businessmen before his party`s primary for the presidential election last year and the general elections in April this year.

He is alleged to have taken 19,000 dollars from each of the two businessmen through nine accounts under his name and those of others 14 times to dodge the law requiring a report to tax authorities for wiring more than 20,000 dollars.

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