Former top presidential aide arrested

SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Yonhap) -- State prosecutors arrested a former senior presidential secretary on Wednesday after a Seoul court approved an arrest warrant, dealing a blow to the Lee Myung-bak administration, which has been struggling to fight against corruption in its final years. Kim Du-woo, who served as Lee's senior secretary for public affairs, is accused of taking bribes from an indicted lobbyist for a Busan-based savings bank on the verge of bankruptcy. Kim resigned earlier this month following the revelation of his alleged involvement in the scandal. "The crime (of Kim) is deemed certain and there is concern over the destruction of evidence," said Lee Sook-yeon, a judge at Seoul Central District Court, as he issued the arrest warrant late Tuesday night. Kim had served at the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, since 2008 and worked at several key posts. Meanwhile, the president has decided to appoint Choe Geum-rak, a veteran reporter at SBS television, based in Seoul, as his new senior secretary for public affairs, sources said.