SEOUL, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Political scandals continue to rock South Korea as the government's spokesman was forced to resign on Thursday because of his alleged ties to a businessman jailed on charge of embezzlement and stock manipulation.
Park Joon-young, chief of the Government Information Agency, became the latest high-ranking administration official who stepped down due to involvement in lobbying scandals.
Park, who served as the chief presidential press secretary as one of President Kim Dae-jung's closest aides, resigned after local media reports said he helped a set-up venture businessman, Yoon Tae-shik, lobby government officials and senior politicians.
Park allegedly introduced Yoon and his software security products to the country's intelligence agency chief, seeking business favors. In return, he asked Yoon to offer jobs for his nephews, reports said.
Prosecutors said they would summon Park and question him on what role he played in the meteoric rise of Yoon's business. Yoon was detained last December on charges of murdering his wife 14 years ago and fabricating that she was a North Korean spy who attempted to take him to the communist country.
He is also suspected of funneling about $1.5 million (2 billion won) in kickbacks to politicians, journalists and senior government officials to buy their influence and favors for his a software start-up venture, which specializes, fingerprint identification system.
A total of 12 figures, including tax officials, police officials, and presidential staff, have been arrested for their involvement in Yoon's lobbying scandals.
Park's involvement is another serious blow to President Kim who was already suffering from a series of corruption scandals involving his close aides and senior government officials.
Last week, the head of the government's anti-corruption panel resigned after reports that he received cash and stocks while serving as a lawyer for Yoon.
Kim Jung-kil, former presidential secretary for political affairs, former information minister Namkung sok, and former spy agency chief, Lee Jong-chan are also reportedly involved in the influence-peddling scandals.
The main opposition Grand National Party stepped up pressure on President Kim, calling for a thorough investigation of all suspects. "The case is enough to raise suspicions that core members of the ruling camp are corrupt," GNP spokesman Nam Kyung-pil said.
Last month, a vice justice minister was arrested for taking bribery when he was serving as the chief presidential secretary for civil and legal affairs.
Embarrassed by the corruption cases, Kim offered a public apology and ordered the government to crack down on corruption. Senior officials said Kim might offer another apology in his New Year press conference slated for next week.
Kim, who was elected 1997 on a reformist and anti-corruption platform, has recently lost support due to bribery scandals. The 77-year-old leader would become even more of a lame duck with a year left of his term in office, political commentators said.
