After two days of interrogation , prosecutors sought warrant to arrest Kwak No - hyun , Seoul ’ s education superintendent , Wednesday on allegations that he bought a rival candidate out of last year ’ s election . Investigators at the Seoul Central Prosecutors ’ Office were said to have reached a conclusion that the 200 million won ( $ 187 , 000 ) that Kwak paid Park Myoung - gee , the withdrawn candidate who is already under arrest , was in return for Park ’ s departure in support of Kwak . They allege that Park ’ s appointment in June this year as an advisor to the education office was also a kind of kickback . They believe that Kwak and Park had a deal through their aides that Kwak would provide Park with money and a job if he pulled out . Kwak , however , delayed paying Park for months after the election , which led to an ugly quarrel , the prosecutors and Park claim . Kwak said that the aide was not authorized to make such a deal and that he only learnt about the deal months after the election . He also argues that the 200 million won was not a bribe and that he just wanted to help out Park , who he thought was suicidal under mounting debts from the election campaign . The local election law prohibits any provision of benefits , be it money or a job , to a candidate in exchange for his or her giving up of the race . A breach of the rule is punishable by imprisonment of up to 7 years and fines of 5 million won to 30 million won . During the second - day interrogation , prosecutors confronted Kwak with a stack of IOUs they had found at Park ’ s , which they believe was written in order to disguise a bribe as a loan . The embattled educator , again , claimed no knowledge of it . The IOUs were under the names of Kang Gyeong - sun , a friend of Kwak , and a brother of Park . Kang , a professor of Korea National Open University , wired the 200 million won on behalf of Kwak to bank accounts of Park ’ s brother in four installments between February and March this year . The prosecutors were tracking bank accounts of Kwak , trying to determine the source of 100 million won , which he said he had borrowed from acquaintances . Kwak , a former law professor , has said that he would fight to clear his name . “ What was a gesture of pure goodwill has been painted as a crime , ” the superintendent said . By Lee Sun - young ( milaya @ heraldm . com )