The Korea Herald

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Park's top aide vows to quit if bribery allegations true

By 배현정

Published : May 1, 2015 - 14:57

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President Park Geun-hye's chief of staff said Friday that he will quit immediately if his bribery allegations turn out to be true. 

Lee Byung-kee's name was written along with seven other high-profile politicians on a "bribery list" left behind by businessman Sung Wan-jong, who hanged himself last month.

The memo shows sums of money written next to the names of six out of eight politicians, indicating that they were bribed.

No won figures appear next to former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo's name or that of Park's current chief of staff, Lee Byung-kee.

"I am willing to quit immediately," if the bribery allegations are proven true by the prosecution's probe, Lee said in a parliamentary session.

He also said he is willing to appear before prosecutors over the scandal, though he rejected calls to resign, claiming he did not take bribes from Sung.

His comments came four days after Park accepted Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo's offer to step down over the bribery scandal.

No sums of money were written next to the name of the former prime minister, but Sung claimed in a newspaper interview just before suicide that he gave 30 million won (US$27,000) in cash to Lee while Lee was running for a parliamentary seat in April 2013.

Lee Wan-koo has denied the allegation.

(Yonhap)