Master swindler

A woman pretending to be a former South Korean first lady was arrested yesterday on suspicion of swindling a politician out of nearly $400,000, a report said.

Claiming to be late president Roh Moo-hyun's widow Kwon Yang-sook, the fraudster allegedly persuaded the then mayor of Gwangju to transfer her 450 million won ($398,000), saying she needed it for her daughter and promising to repay it quickly.

At the time Yoon Jang-hyun, a member of the Democratic party of both Roh and current President Moon Jae-in, was seeking the organisation's nomination for a second term as leader of the southern city.

Corruption allegations are commonplace in South Korean politics, and its last two presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye are both serving prison sentences for graft.

Roh himself committed suicide by jumping off a cliff in 2009 after he was questioned over a corruption case involving Kwon.

Her alleged impersonator texted around 10 prominent figures in Gwangju in December but Yoon was the only one to pay out, Yonhap news agency reported.

In the event he did not secure the mayoral nomination and has left the political scene.