South Korean prosecutors Tuesday charged former Prime Minister Han Myeong-Sook with taking a 50,000 dollar bribe from a business executive while she was in office, officials said. The former liberal prime minister denies the allegations and says the probe is politically motivated under the current conservative government. She was arrested last Friday after refusing to appear voluntarily for questioning.
Han, 65, was booked but not detained for allegedly receiving the money from businessman Kwak Young-Wook. Kwak, who allegedly sought her help securing a top post with a state firm, is under arrest on embezzlement charges. Han was premier under president Roh Moo-Hyun from April 2006 to March 2007 and is currently a senior adviser to the main opposition Democratic Party.
Roh killed himself in May by jumping from a cliff after being questioned about payments to other family members in a separate corruption probe. Justice Minister Lee Kwi-Nam promised officials would stay neutral in Han's case. "Prosecutors are proceeding with the investigation in accordance with the law and will deal with the case (in court) in the same neutral manner," Lee told a parliamentary committee. The arrest comes amid growing political tensions over a huge waterways improvement project pushed by President Lee Myung-Bak. Opposition lawmakers occupied a parliamentary hall last week to try to block funding for it.