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Senior S. Korean prosecutor indicted on corruption charges

Senior South Korean prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon, center, was surrounded by media upon his arrival for questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul, South Korea on July 14. South Korean prosecutors today indicted Jin for allegedly pocketing millions of dollars from shady stock transaction deals with an online game maker. (Lim Tae-hoon/Newsis via AP)

SEOUL » South Korean prosecutors on Friday indicted a fellow senior prosecutor for allegedly pocketing millions of dollars from shady stock transaction deals with an online game maker.

Jin Kyung-joon, who holds a rank of vice minister, faces charges including bribery and violating the law on financial transactions, prosecutor Lee Keum-ro announced in a televised news conference. Jin became the most senior prosecutor to be arrested last week.

Corruption scandals involving high-profile figures routinely take place in South Korea, one of Asia’s leading economies that became a liberal democracy in the late 1980s after decades of dictatorships.

Jin allegedly took $374,830 from the founder of Nexon and bought unlisted company shares before selling them back to the company at a much higher price. Prosecutors accused Lee of using the profits to purchase shares of Nexon Japan and sold them again for $11 million last year.

Jin also allegedly received a luxury sedan and $44,620 for personal travel expenses from Nexon founder Kim Jungju.

In a brief encounter with reporters three days before his arrest, Jin said he committed “wrong behavior” but didn’t’ elaborate. There were no fresh comments from him since he was put in a detention facility.

Prosecutors on Friday also indicted the Nexon founder saying he expected to get help from Jin in possible legal cases involving his company. Kim issued a statement Friday saying “I lower my head and apologize.”

Nexon, known for hit games such as “MapleStory” and “Dungeon & Fighter,” has about 300 million users in about 150 countries, according to Nexon officials. Kim is one of South Korea’s richest men with an estimated wealth of $3.5 billion.

One response to “Senior S. Korean prosecutor indicted on corruption charges”

  1. cojef says:

    These guys trade in real money, like millions! Wonder how some of our crooked civil servants in high places get their compensates?

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