Prosecutors raid home of ex-presidential aide over corruption

Prosecutors on Tuesday raided the home of a former senior presidential secretary over his alleged involvement in a corruption case surrounding the ongoing construction of a skyscraper in the southern port city of Busan.

The Busan District Prosecutors' Office investigating the case surrounding LCT, a 101-story building under construction in Busan, raided the home of Hyun Ki-hwan in Seoul and issued a travel ban.

The 57-year-old, who served as senior presidential secretary for political affairs from July 2015 to June this year, is suspected of giving business favors to Lee Young-bok, who led the mammoth construction project.

Lee is currently under detention over allegations of creating slush funds worth some 57 billion won (US$48.7 million) to illicitly lobby politicians and government officials to build the skyscraper overlooking Haeundae Beach.

The case recently came under spotlight after President Park Geun-hye, who herself is embroiled in a separate corruption scandal, ordered the justice minister to thoroughly investigate the case.

(YONHAP)