Prosecutors have filed for an arrest warrant for an ex-Ssangbangwool Group chair accused of corruption involving main opposition Democratic Party(DP) chief Lee Jae-myung on a slew of charges including embezzlement.

The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office said on Thursday that it requested an arrest warrant for Kim Seong-tae, who returned from Thailand on Tuesday after eight months on the run, on charges of embezzlement, breach of trust and bribery as well as violations of laws on the capital market and foreign exchange management.

The prosecutors did not, however, include charges related to suspicions that Kim paid Lee's legal fees by proxy.

Kim's lawyer said that his client would not attend a court review of the warrant set for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, leaving the decision to be made by the judge overseeing the request based on documents submitted by the prosecution.

Upon returning home, Kim was immediately grilled under a 48-hour detention warrant. The latest request, if issued, would give prosecutors up to 20 more days to hold him until a decision is made on indictment.

The police are also seeking permission to arrest current Ssangbangwool chair Yang Seon-gil, who is accused of embezzling company funds in collusion with Kim, who is his cousin.

Source: KBS World Radio