Two opposition lawmakers arrested over bribery, illegal political funds
Choi Kyung-hwan and Lee Woo-hyun / Yonhap
By Oh Young-jin
Two sitting opposition lawmakers were arrested early Thursday for allegedly taking bribes and illegal political funds under the previous Park Geun-hye government.
Reps. Choi Kyung-hwan and Lee Woo-hyun of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LPK) have been charged with bribery and violating the political fund law.
Choi, 63, stands accused of accepting 100 million won ($93,720) from the state spy agency in 2014 when he was then deputy prime minister and finance minister.
Choi is known to have been the right-hand man of the ousted President Park Geun-hye. Park is also facing an additional indictment for the same charge.
Prosecutors believe the National Intelligence Service (NIS) provided former top government officials with billions of won from its state coffers, including some 3.8 billion won to Park from 2013-16.
Lee, 61, is suspected of accepting about 1 billion won in illegal political funds from local business people in return for business favors, among others.
Both denied the charges.