Prosecutors seeking arrest over bribery allegations involving Swedish firm

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors said Monday they are seeking an arrest
warrant for the chief of an influential think tank here on charges of providing a
Swedish company with classified information on South Korea's stealth fighter
development project.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has been looking into allegations that Saab
bribed officials at the Seoul-based Security Management Institute (SMI) to obtain
information on the KF-X fighter program.
The program, which is estimated to cost billions of dollars and would need a
foreign partner in technological cooperation, is aimed at developing stealth jets
to replace South Korea's aging fighters.
Prosecutors said the SMI chief, identified by his surname, Hwang, has received
money from Saab since 2005 for classified information that could give the company
an edge in potential future bidding.
On Oct. 16, prosecutors also arrested a former South Korean Air Force major
general on charges of providing Saab with photos of classified military documents
concerning the fighter program.
Investigators have suspected SMI has presented reports on the KF-X program to the
National Assembly in favor of Saab and that hundreds of millions of won may have
been offered in return.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)