Chief of weapons procurement agency offers to resign over graft scandal

The head of South Korea's weapons procurement agency offered to resign Wednesday, a government source said, amid allegations that he was involved in a high-profile graft scandal.

   Chang Soo-man, commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Agency (DAPA), tendered his resignation to the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae earlier in the day, the source said.   "Chang, commissioner of the DAPA, tendered his resignation to President Lee Myung-bak today," the source said on the condition of anonymity.

   Chang served as a vice defense minister before assuming the post last August.

   The source said Chang decided to step down amid newspaper reports that he was linked to a businessman at the center of the graft scandal that led to the arrest of former police chief Kang Hee-rak.

   On Tuesday, Kang, who took office in March 2009 as head of the National Police Agency and voluntarily resigned in August last year, was indicted on charges of receiving 190 million won

(US$169,491) from the businessman in exchange for using his influence to select police officials for promotions while in office in 2009.

   The 65-year-old businessman, Yoo Sang-bong, was arrested last December as a key suspect in the bribery scandal that has implicated former top police officers and construction executives, who allegedly received bribes in return for favors in his bid to broker a number of contracts to operate cafeterias at construction sites. (Yonhap News)