Former PM next in Sung bribery probe

The former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo / Yonhap

Prosecutors are shifting their focus from South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo to former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo in their investigation into the “bribery name list” that Keangnam Enterprises Chairman Sung Woan Jong left before he killed himself.

On Saturday, the prosecutors subpoenaed three Sung aides who had been in contact with Lee.

The aides included Sung's chief secretary and driver. The two were confirmed to have accompanied Sung when he visited Lee's election campaign office in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, in April 2013 when Lee was standing in a by-election.

The prosecutors plan to ask the aides when exactly Sung visited Lee's election campaign office and how Sung's alleged 30 million won bribe was delivered to Lee.

Earlier on Saturday, Hong left the Supreme Prosecutors' Office early in the morning after being interrogated for 17 hours on charges of taking a 100 million won ($92,000) bribe from Sung.