South Korea indicts former top judge for manipulating rulings: Agency

SEOUL - South Korean prosecutors indicted a former chief justice on Monday over charges of abusing power and manipulating rulings, including some regarding forced labour during World War Two involving Japanese companies, the Yonhap news agency said.

The Seoul central prosecutors' office filed 47 charges against Yang Seung-tae, the Supreme Court chief from 2011 to 2017, in the first such indictment of a former chief justice.

He was accused of delaying rulings on controversial cases in a bid to aid the administration of then President Park Geun-hye.

Reuters was not immediately able to trace contacts for Yang's lawyers or a representative.

Since his arrest in January, domestic media have quoted his lawyers as saying they will clarify their position during a hearing on his case, although no date has been fixed yet.

Late last year, South Korea's top court ruled that Japanese companies should compensate four South Koreans for their forced labour during World War Two when Japan occupied Korea, which soured the bilateral ties.

Japan occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945.