Governor to be quizzed over alleged bribery

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- A provincial governor will undergo questioning later this week for allegedly taking bribes while he was campaigning for a party leadership election in 2011, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Hong Joon-pyo, governor of South Gyeongsang Province, is among those presumed to have been bribed by the chairman of a construction company who committed suicide last month.

Sung Wan-jong left behind a note listing eight names, including those of former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo and several of President Park Geun-hye's close aides, next to what appeared to be bribery sums.

Prosecutors will interrogate Hong Friday morning.

Hong is suspected of taking some 100 million won (US$92,000) from the late chairman when he was running for the ruling Saenuri Party chairman.

The prosecutor-turned-governor is the first among those named by Sung to face questioning.

Former premier Lee is likely to follow suit as early as next week.

He is accused of having taken 30 million won from Sung when he was running in a regional by-election in 2013. Lee has stepped down.

sojungpark@yna.co.kr
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