Seoul\'s education chief was detained on Saturday for further investigation into allegations that he bribed a rival candidate to drop out of last year\'s election. A local court issued a warrant to allow the physical detention of Kwak No-hyun, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, saying he may try to destroy evidence. Kwak, who was elected to the post in June 2010, has already admitted to giving 200 million won (US$185,700) early this year to Park Myoung-gee, a rival candidate from the same liberal bloc who quit in the middle of the race. \"The facts of (Kwak\'s) crime have been confirmed and there is a reasonable concern that the suspect might attempt to destroy evidence,\" said Judge Kim Hwan-soo of the Seoul Central District Court, explaining the reason for approving an arrest warrant for Kwak. Prosecutors suspect the money was a reward for Park\'s withdrawal, which contributed to Kwak\'s election victory. Kwak, however, has consistently denied the suspicions, claiming the money was given only as a gesture of \"goodwill\" for Park, who amassed heavy debts from his own election campaign before withdrawing his bid. Park, a professor at Seoul National University of Education, has already been arrested on charges of violating the election law. Kwak, if convicted of buying off his rival candidate, will be punished with a prison term of less than seven years or a fine of at least 5 million won and stripped of his post. Following the arrest warrant issuance, Kwak was taken to a detention center. The disgraced Seoul education chief underwent two days of intensive questioning earlier this week at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors\' Office, but refused to fully explain how he raised the money delivered in four installments from February to April. Kwak\'s arrest came as a shock as he was elected for his clean image after his scandal-ridden predecessor, Kong Jeong-taek, was removed from office in 2008 for a bribery conviction. Kwak\'s deputy is set to take over the post after Kwak\'s indictment, slated for late this month. \"I\'m disappointed. But the truth never changes when faced with difficulties,\" Kwak told reporters shortly after the warrant was issued. \"I will make it a chance to look back on and train myself.\" Kwak\'s defense lawyer said he will never stop the legal fight to unveil the truth and Kwak\'s innocence. The prosecution\'s investigation came at a delicate time politically as the conservative ruling Grand National Party (GNP) is trying to bolster its image to win next month\'s Seoul mayoral by-election. Oh Se-hoon resigned as Seoul mayor in late August after failing to block a free school lunch program supported by Kwak and the opposition-controlled Seoul council in an Aug. 24 referendum. Political parties had mixed reactions to Kwak\'s detention. The ruling GNP intensified pressure on the education official, calling for his immediate resignation, while opposition parties expressed their regrets for the detention. \"Kwak, who became a symbol of \'corrupt\' and \'double-faced\' liberal bloc, ought to repent for his false excuse without deceiving the people with his \'good-will gesture\' sophistry any longer,\" Kim Gi-hyeon, a GNP spokesman, said in a statement. Lee Yong-sup, a spokesman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), criticized the court, saying what it did was tantamount to endorsing the prosecution\'s illegal practices of revealing to media details of their ongoing probes and \"witch-hunting.\"