Prosecution raids PM office in election-meddling probe

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- State prosecutors on Wednesday morning began a search of the prime minister's office as part of ongoing probes into presidential officials' alleged election-meddling.

Investigators were dispatched to a government building in Seoul to search the workspace of a prime minister official who is implicated in the ongoing case.

The official, surnamed Moon, is known to have compiled documents on bribery allegations of former Ulsan mayor Kim Gi-hyeon's confidants in October 2017 based on tips from former Ulsan vice mayor of economic affairs Song Byung-gi. Moon was then working at Chong Wa Dae's civil affairs unit.

The former Ulsan mayor, who was then seeking reelection as mayor in the June 2018 elections as a candidate of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, lost the race to current mayor, Song Cheol-ho of the ruling Democratic Party, a longtime friend of President Moon Jae-in.

The case blew up into a massive investigation after Kim publicly claimed that the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency deliberately raided his office a few months ahead of the election with the presidential office behind the move.

mlee@yna.co.kr
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