A provincial education chief was detained Wednesday on a bribery charge, court officials said Thursday.

Kim Jong-seong, chief of the South Chungcheong Office of Education, has been under investigation since last month on charges that the 63-year-old ordered government officials to take bribes worth 290 million won ($267,000) from people seeking to become state education advisors, in exchange for qualification test questions.

The court said there is substantial evidence supporting his crime, according to the officials.

The educational official attempted to kill himself last month flatly denying the allegations against him. (Yonhap News)