Chairman of Shinan Corp. Park Soon-Suk Arrested for Gambling

Park Soon-Suk, the chairman of Shinan Corporation, well known for golf and leisure business, was arrested for betting millions of won per par on golf games with presidents of subcontract and associated companies at golf courses he owned. He was also charged of opening a gambling house where the stakes reached up to 5 billion won, according to the Prosecutor`s Office.

A native of Shinan Jeonnam Province, Park established Shinan Construction Co. in 1980, which, now having14 affiliated companies, has been paid attention to in this administration for it accepted and merged many companies.

Department of Violent Crimes at Suwon District Prosecutor`s Office (The Chief Prosecutor Kim Hong-Il) requested on Sept. 25 a warrant for the arrests of Park and six others including Mr. Kim (54) on charges of gambling on golf (habitual gambling).

Prosecutor`s Office said ``Park gambled at golf around 36 successive holes a day, betting millions of won per par.`` and disclosed ``he and others played 28 times since last April, betting from 50 million to 150 million won per game, and the total sum of stake reached up to 3 billion won.``

Prosecutor`s Office arrested 5 persons including Park and Kim immediately on Sept. 23 around 7 o’clock as they came out of Rivera Country Club (former Kwanak C.C.) located in Dongtan Myeon, Hasung, Kyunggi-Do, and seized as evidence 83 million won in cash and checks.

According to Prosecutor`s Office, Park organized a gathering for golf called `Baek-Du Club` with subcontractors, suppliers and small-medium business owners who wished financial discounting, and bet on golf games several times a month at his own golf courses such as Rivera C.C., Green Hill C.C. in Kwanju, Shinan C.C in Ansung.

The prosecution investigation disclosed that Park had opened a gambling place in his own office at the clubhouse of Rivera C.C. or at Rivera Hotel in Seoul, and made illegal profits by charging a gambling house fee and lending money to the gamblers at interest to be paid beforehand.

Prosecutor`s Office said ``Park took 10 percent of the money on the board from the winners at Poker and Go-Stop games and lent seed money to the losers at 10 percent interest to be paid beforehand.``

Prosecutor`s Office also mentioned that this case was under investigation for two months, initiated by a tip that Park gambled at golf games habitually.

Nam Kyung-Hyun bibulus@donga.com