Early on Thursday a Seoul Central District Court judge said the court had rejected a request by prosecutors for a warrant to arrest Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin in connection with the investigation.

The probe, which became public in June, derailed Lotte Group's previous plan for a $4.5 billion IPO for Hotel Lotte.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

Stocks treated in this article : Lotte Chemical Corp, Lotte Shopping Co Ltd