Four arrested at top military compound for alleged graft

Four were arrested and 11 other personnel booked in an expanding investigation into allegations of graft at the top military compound in central Korea, an official said Monday and Yonhap News reported.

The defense ministry launched the investigation last month after a local broadcaster said officials at the Gyeryong compound in South Chungcheong Province took bribes for deals with local providers of office supplies.

The compound is home to the headquarters of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The report was based on an interview with a Navy lieutenant commander who said he received unfair treatment within his unit for being a whistle-blower.

Kim Yong-ki, a retired major general overseeing the investigation, said in a briefing that four personnel, including a Navy captain and a Marine colonel, have been arrested on charges of receiving bribes for either arranging the deals or interfering in the initial internal investigation into them.