South Korean ex-president Lee ordered back to prison for 17 years

Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak. - AP

SEOUL (AFP): Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak was ordered back to prison Thursday (Oct 29) as the country's Supreme Court upheld a 17-year jail term for bribery and embezzlement offences.

The conservative Lee, who served as president from 2008 to 2013, had been out on bail awaiting the ruling and was not in court for the decision, but police were seen at his Seoul home to take him away, according to reports.