Former Corps of Engineers worker accused of bribery

SEOUL — South Korean prosecutors said Thursday they are seeking an arrest warrant for a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee accused of accepting more than $70,000 in bribes in connection with the expansion project at Camp Humphreys.

Pyeongtaek chief prosecutor Im Seok-pil said Thursday that Yang Hwa-sok, a 57-year-old South Korean man, is accused of accepting the bribes from the Jingsung Development construction company between January and September 2007.

Jingsung officials were unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.

Corps of Engineers Far East District spokesman Joe Campbell confirmed Thursday that Yang, citing “personal reasons,” resigned his position as a general engineer on Feb. 13.

Campbell said Yang worked for the district’s Pyeongtaek resident office since July 1999.

During the period when the bribery is alleged to have taken place, Campbell said, Yang was one of the district employees who worked quality assurance to “enforce contract compliance.”

Campbell said his command is cooperating with the South Korean investigation.

“As for any other details, we cannot comment on ongoing investigations,” Campbell said.

Campbell said the district deals directly with prime contractors, not subcontractors. In the case of the expansion work at Humphreys, the district works with the Seohee Construction Co., Campbell said.

He also said all district employees attend mandatory annual ethics training. The eight-hour sessions are taught by the command’s legal counsel, Campbell said.