(VOVworld) - The South Korean special prosecutor team on Wednesday placed Moon Hyung-pyo, chief of the National Pension Service (NPS) under emergency arrest, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

The South Korean special prosecutor team placed Moon Hyung-pyo under emergency detention (Source: AP)

The special prosecutor has been looking into whether Moon pressured the pension fund to support the merger last year of two Samsung Group affiliates while he was head of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which runs the NPS.  

Investigators are also examining whether the South Korean presidential office pressured the state fund to support the merger in return for favors Samsung gave to the president's close friend Choi Soon-sil. Mr Moon has rejected all charges, saying he is not involved in the case.