S Korea public pension raided in corruption probe

South Korean investigators on Wednesday raided the state-run National Pension Service in a widening probe into a corruption scandal that has engulfed President Park Geun-Hye and large companies including Samsung.

A special prosecutor has been investigating whether Samsung bribed Park's confidant Choi Soon-Sil to win state approval for a controversial merger of two of its units.

Investigators also said they had sought an arrest warrant for Choi's daughter Jeong Yu-Ra, who is now at large in Europe. Jeong is accused of bribing her way into a college in Seoul.

The merger of Samsung units Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T last year was seen as a crucial step to ensure a smooth father-to-son power transfer to Lee Jae-Yong, scion of Samsung's founding family. The NPS oversees 543 trillion won ( 461 billion) in funds, making it the world's third  largest public pension fund.