SEOUL - SOUTH Korean prosecutors said they have asked for court approval to arrest a former university art professor for forging US degree certificates.

They said Shin Jeong-Ah, a former curator, was accused of forging undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of Kansas and Yale University to secure a job at a Seoul university.

With fake degrees, the 35-year-old also won co-directorship at the country's largest contemporary art exhibition. She has quit both posts.

She is suspected of having close personal relations with Byeon Yang-Kyoon, formerly President Roh Moo-Hyun's chief national policy secretary, who also faces an arrest for abuse of power.

Prosecutors have questioned Byeon, 58, over allegations of influence-peddling. He at first denied having been involved with Shin but prosecutors later discovered love letters he had e-mailed to her.

The scandal turned sensational last week when a local newspaper printed nude photos said to be of Shin, amid speculation about sex-for-favour trades.

She has denied all such allegations.

Shin, who fled to the United States when the scandal erupted in July, returned home on Sunday.

On Tuesday, the president's office issued a statement denying some news reports that first lady Kwon Yang-Sook could have played a role in protecting Shin.

'It is true that Shin visited (the presidential office) twice last year for personal reasons. But Shin has never met with the first lady,' it said.

Byeon was sacked last week. Mr Roh appointed Sung Kyoung-Ryung, a social welfare professor at Hallym University, to succeed him. -- AFP

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