Three incumbent lawmakers were indicted on Monday for allegedly taking bribes on multiple occasions, prosecutors said Monday.
Song Kwang-ho of the ruling Saenuri Party and Shin Geh-ryeun and Shin Hak-yong of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy were charged in separate bribery cases, the Global Post said.
None were taken into custody.
Song, pictured, is suspected of accepting $54,000in bribes from local railway parts supplier AVT in exchange for political favors.
His indictment comes almost two weeks after the National Assembly refused to allow his arrest. South Korea lawmakers are immune from detention while the National Assembly is in session unless there’s a vote to strip a member of immunity.
Song, 72, “allegedly took money on 11 occasions over a period of two years from April 2012 after getting to know the company president through a former party spokesman who is now in detention,” the Global Post said.
In late August, three other lawmakers were arrested minutes before the South Korea National Assembly was called into an extra session at midnight that would have given them immunity from arrest.
Arrested at the legislative chamber in front of TV cameras were Kim Jae-yun from the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy Party, and Cho Hyun-yong and Park Sang-eun from the ruling Saenuri Party
Cho was later indicted on suspicion of taking bribes worth about $150,000 from another railway parts supplier, Sampyo E.
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Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
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