SEOUL. South Korea. June 5: A son of President Kim Young-sam was charged with bribery and tax evasion Thursday in a corruption scandal that has crippled his father's administration, reports AP.

The son's indictment was the final act in a four-month investigation by state prosecutors — a probe marked by damaging media leaks, opposition allegations and violent student protests.

Kim Hyun-chul, 37. was charged with taking 3.22 billion won (dlrs 3.6 million) in bribes from two businessman seeking government contracts and licenses and his influence in a court case over a stock dispute.

Prosecutors also charged him with taking 3.39 billion won (dlrs 3.8 million) in cash from four businessman and laundering the money to evade dlrs 1.5 million in taxes. Those payments were not bribes, they said.

The younger Kim, arrested May 17. was the first close relative of an incumbent South Korean president to face criminal charges.

Such a prosecution move would have been unthinkable when the nation was ruled by the military leaders who preceded Kim. If found guilty of both bribery and tax evasion, he could be sentenced to life in prison.