Korean president pressed over son

President Kim's son (centre) is accused of bribery

South Korea's main opposition party has kept up pressure on President Kim Dae-jung by calling on him to apologise for the actions of his son, arrested on Saturday for alleged involvement in a bribery scandal.

The opposition Grand National Party turned down a request from Prime Minister Lee Han-dong on Monday for a political truce on the issue ahead of football's World Cup, which South Korea is co-hosting.

Laying bare corruption is a matter of principle, not subject to negotiation

GNP leader Suh Chung-won

GNP head Suh Chung-won said after the prime minister's visit: "It would be good if before the World Cup, the president goes on TV and apologises".

President Kim, who came to power with a pledge to fight corruption, has already publicly apologised for his son, Kim Hong-gul.

Kim Hong-gul is accused of having received up to $2.3m in bribes last year from a businessman who is now in jail. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

The GNP said there would be no let-up in attacks over the influence-peddling case, which has tainted a government already severely dented by a series of corruption scandals surrounding the president's aides, relatives and government officials.

"Laying bare corruption is a matter of principle, not subject to negotiation," said the GNP leader.

In detention

Kim Hong-gul, who has returned from his home in the US to face charges, has been sent to a detention centre south of Seoul where his father was held several times as a political prisoner in the 1970s and 80s.

President Kim has already apologised for his son

He has been charged with receiving cash and shares in Tiger Pools International (TPI) worth 1.5bn won ($1.2m) as a bribe to help the firm win a sports gambling licence issued last year.

He was also allegedly given 48,000 shares in a Tiger subsidiary, with a face value of 500 won per share.

Justice Ministry officials told South Korean media that Kim Hong-Gul was put in solitary confinement for security reasons and spent his first day in prison praying and reading the Bible and other books.

Worse to come?

Mr Dae-jung's troubles may yet intensify. His second oldest son, Kim Hong-up, is also under suspicion of influence-peddling. He has yet to be questioned by prosecutors.

South Korea has seen this type of scandal before.

The prison in which Kim Hong-gul is detained was also occupied by the youngest son of former President Kim Young-sam for two years, after he was charged five years ago with taking $6.6bn in bribes and evading tax.

That scandal, and the ensuing financial crisis, helped Kim Dae-jung win the 1997 presidential election.