Senior S. Korean prosecutor indicted on corruption charges
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.
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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.
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These guys trade in real money, like millions! Wonder how some of our crooked civil servants in high places get their compensates?