Prosecutors have arrested a former senior ethics official at the Prime Minister's Office over allegations that he conducted an unethical and illegal probe against a businessman two years ago, Yonhap News Agency said on Saturday.
Lee In-kyu, the former official in charge of investigating public servants suspected of corruption or other wrongdoings, was arrested late Friday for alleged coercion and other charges, according to the Seoul Central Prosectors' Office, it said.
Another official at the Prime Minister's Office, who surnamed Kim, was also arrested for the same offenses, it said.
The officials are suspected of illegally investigating a businessman operating a small financial company who posted video footage criticizing the President Lee Myung-bak administration on his blog in 2008, when the government was hit by mass street protests against U.S. beef imports.
The two officials are also suspected of influencing an ex-head of Kookmin Bank to put pressure on the businessman, Kim Jong-ik, to leave his financial company, prosecutors said.
By law, the ethics department at the Prime Minister's Office can only monitor public employees, not civilians, it said.