Prosecutors to Pursue Arrest of Pres. Lee’s Confidant

Prosecutors will apply for an arrest warrant for Chun Shin-il, CEO of Sejoong Namo Tour and a close confidant of President Lee Myung-bak, on suspicion of bribery, news reports said Thursday.

Chun allegedly accepted more than four billion won (3.6 million U.S. dollars) in bribes. He fled to Japan in August.

Prosecutors will summon him upon his return to Korea as a suspect.

He allegedly took the bribes around 2008 in the form of cash, gift certificates and iron bars for the construction of a museum from Lee Soo-woo, president of Imchon Industrial, a partner company of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, in return for favors such as helping Imchon get loans from financial institutions.

Considering the sheer amount of bribes Chun received and his refusal to return home for the investigation without just cause, prosecutors say requesting an arrest warrant for him is inevitable given the potential for destruction of evidence and flight risk.

To obtain more evidence against Chun, prosecutors raided Thursday the headquarters of his travel company in Seoul and Sejoong I&C, a business management consulting affiliate. They also seized Chun’s computer and accounting documents from his office and other places.

Shortly after the full-fledged probe into Imchon began, Chun went to Japan Aug. 19 under the pretext of a business trip and getting medical treatment. He twice refused calls late last month from prosecutors to return home for questioning.

jefflee@donga.com