(2nd LD) Police seek arrest warrant on Gyeonggi governor's son on drug charges

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead and 3rd para with uptdates on police request of arrest warrant on Nam's son)

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- Police said Monday they have requested a court warrant to arrest the eldest son of Gyeonggi Province governor on charges of smuggling and taking methamphetamines.

Police detained the 26-year-old son of Gov. Nam Kyung-pil late Sunday and seized 2 grams of methamphetamine from his home. The son, whose first name was withheld, tested positive for the drug in a urine test and admitted to taking it a number of times at his home.

He will likely be arraigned Tuesday, the police said.

He was questioned by the police for about eight hours from early Monday before returning to the detention center at around 5:15 p.m.

He refused to answer any questions asked by reporters as he left the police station.

He told police that he purchased a total of 4 grams of methamphetamine while visiting China and hid it in his underwear when returning home on Friday, officials said.

Four grams of the drug amounts to 130 doses, which is worth about 4 million won (US$3,546). Nam apparently told police he got them for a tenth of the value, police said.

Police said they will analyze the surveillance footage from his home to check if his statement about taking the drugs alone is true. The son apparently has no previous record of drug convictions.

In 2014, the son made headlines for beating up a lower-ranked soldier while fulfilling his mandatory military service. A military court convicted and sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

Nam, who is currently on a trip to Germany, apologized.

"My eldest son, who committed the crime of beating up a lower-ranked soldier while serving the military, is under investigation at a police station after committing a crime again," Nam said in a Facebook posting. "I will suspend all appointments and return home on the earliest possible flight. I offer a heartfelt apology to the people and to the residents of our province."

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