Roh arrested on kickback charges

Seoul - Roh Tae Woo, the disgraced former South Korean president, was arrested yesterday on charges of pocketing more than pounds 195m from business tycoons in return for lucrative contracts. More arrests were expected.

Mr Roh, the country's first former or current head of state to be charged with a crime, was pelted with eggs and vilified by demonstrators as he was driven to the Seoul detention house. Minutes earlier, Mr Roh apologised to the nation on the steps of the Seoul prosecutor-general's office. "I'm really sorry," he said. "I will take all responsibility and any punishment."

A 1,000-page arrest warrant said 30 tycoons gave kickbacks to Mr Roh worth 500m won (pounds 420,000) to 25bn won (pounds 21m), a district court judge said. Reuter