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South Korea former PM indicted on bribery charges

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday charged former prime minister Han Myeong-sook with bribery. Han is accused of accepting USD $50,000 from former Korea Express CEO Kwak Young-wook in 2007 in exchange for helping him become president of Korea South-East Power Co., an affiliate of the state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation. Han, a senior adviser to the main opposition Democratic Party, has denied the allegations, calling the charges politically motivated. Han was arrested last week after a court issued an arrest warrant when she refused to appear for questioning voluntarily. Kwak is also under arrest on embezzlement charges. Han served as the country's first female prime minister under president Roh Moo-hyun from April 2006 - March 2007. Roh, who was himself the target of a bribery investigation, died in May from an apparent suicide. Shortly before his death, prosecutors had questioned Roh on suspicion that he accepted up to $6 million in bribes from Park Yeon-cha, a financial supporter who is also CEO of a shoe manufacturing company. Roh admitted that his wife had received $1 million from Park, but said the money was a loan rather than a bribe. Roh became president in 2003 after campaigning heavily against corruption.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on December 23, 2009 (boomark / email).