The prosecution said Monday it will indict a junior prosecutor for engaging in sexual acts with a female suspect charged with theft.
The 30-year-old trainee prosecutor, identified only by his surname Jeon, has been accused of having sex with a 42-year-old woman in exchange for favors while questing her for a theft case in his Seoul office on Nov. 10. He also allegedly had sex with her two days later.
"We've decided to bring the charges of bribery and abuse of authority against Jeon, as sex can be seen here as a kind of bribery for favors," said an official of the audit division of the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office.
"The fact that the prosecutor had a sexual relationship with the suspect who sought favor for the interrogation is in violation of the integrity of the public office, which has much to be blamed," he added.
Both sides admitted to participating in such activities twice and that they wrote an agreement of not holding each other responsible for the case, according to prosecution officials.
The audit team said it will seek for Jeon's dismissal and stern punishment against his supervisors, while not seeking any criminal charges against the female suspect over the sex scandal.
Jeon, after being assigned as a prosecutor at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office in March, participated in a three-month training program in Seoul. He is a first-generation graduate of the country's law school, which was first implemented in 2009.
The unfolding sex scandal added to public criticism of the prosecution as it came on the heels of a scandal centering on allegations that a senior prosecutor received massive bribes. Holding himself responsible for a series of shameful incidents, Prosecutor General Han Sang-dae stepped down late last month. (Yonhap)