South Korea prosecutor says Samsung's Lee paid bribes to Park's friend

South Korea's special prosecutor's office said on Monday that Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee had paid bribes totaling 43 billion won ($36.42 million) to Choi Soon-sil, the friend of President Park Geun-hye at the center of an escalating corruption scandal.

The prosecutor's office said on Monday it will seek a warrant to arrest Lee on charges of bribery and embezzlement.

Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, told journalists that arrest warrants would not be sought for three other Samsung executives questioned during the investigation.

($1 = 1,180.5300 won)

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Writing by Christine Kim; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)