Prosecutors asked a former senior secretary to President Moon Jae-in to appear for questioning next week over bribery suspicions, officials said Friday, as they consider seeking another arrest warrant for him after an earlier request was rejected.
Jun Byung-hun, former senior presidential secretary for political affairs, has been summoned to appear at the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office on Monday, officials said.
Jun is accused of forcing Lotte Homeshopping, a local home shopping channel, to donate 330 million won ($303,700) in 2015 to the Korea e-Sports Association, of which he was the then-chief.
Jun Byung-hun, former senior aide to President Moon Jae-in, is swamped by reporters asking him questions as he appears at the Seoul Central District Court for his arraignment hearing over a bribery case on Nov. 24, 2017. (Yonhap)
Prosecutors suspect the money was given in exchange for favors involving the renewal of Lotte Homeshopping's broadcasting license. Jun was at the time a three-term lawmaker belonging to the parliamentary committee in charge of related policies.
Prosecutors are also looking into suspicions that Jun forced another home shopping channel, GS Home Shopping, to make a donation. The company donated 150 million won to the Korea e-Sports Association in 2013.
Jun has denied the charges against him.
Last week, prosecutors sought a court warrant to formally arrest Jun, but the court rejected the request, saying that the charges against him are disputable and that he has a low risk of fleeing or destroying evidence.
After Monday's questioning, prosecutors plan to determine whether to seek a further arrest warrant for him. (Yonhap)
