South Korea's special prosecutor's office said on Thursday it has applied for a warrant to arrest National Pension Service Chairman Moon Hyung-pyo, who is under emergency detention, on charges of abuse of power and giving false testimony.

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The National Pension Service (NPS) Chairman Moon Hyung-pyo is summoned to the Independent Counsel Team in Seoul, South Korea, December 27, 2016. 

 

 

The office told a briefing that Moon had acknowledged ordering the world's third-largest pension fund to support the $8 billion merger last year of two Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] affiliates while he was head of the health ministry.

Moon had denied during a parliamentary hearing in November that he had exerted pressure on the National Pension Service, which is run by the health ministry, to back the merger as a major shareholder.

Source: Reuters