Prosecutors said Monday they have sought an arrest warrant for a ruling party lawmaker for allegedly taking bribes.

Lee Byung-suk of the ruling Saenuri Party is accused of using his position to persuade POSCO, South Korea's biggest steelmaker, to sign business contracts with subcontractors owned by Lee's acquaintances.

In return, Lee allegedly received tens of millions of won in bribes from one of the subcontractors.

Prosecutors said they sought the arrest warrant as Lee rejected repeated requests to appear before prosecutors for questioning.

His arrest is subject to parliamentary consent as lawmakers in South Korea are immune from detention while the National Assembly is in session. (Yonhap)