Corruption Scandal in the Military Facility Constructions

The police found out that 2 incumbent military generals and 3 former generals received a huge amount of bribe from Hyundai Engineering & Construction regarding construction of military facilities. More controversies are expected as the police plans to find evidence that Hyundai Engineering & Construction gave enormous amount of bribe to other generals to get favorable conditions in other major construction for military facilities.

The unit for special investigation in the National Police Agency arrested Sin Taeg-keun，

the director for facility construction division in the Ministry of Defense Thursday for receiving 31million won in bribe in return for providing preferential treatment to Hyundai Engineering & Construction in the construction of outer barbed wire in Incheon International Airport and the construction of accommodation facilities for military guards. Both projects were contracted out by the Ministry of Defense. The police booked Kim Si-cheon, the former head of joint investigation unit in the Defense ministry，

without detention on a charge of receiving 20 million won in bribe from Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

The police refer the cases of three current military personnel to the joint investigation unit in the Defense ministry. Among them，brigadier general Park In-ku, the former director of facility construction division received 15 million won and Jeon Jae-ho，the current director of facility construction division received gift certificate worth of 2 million won. Colonel Kim Ho-keun received 10 million won. The police also added charges of graft to Lee Kyeung-won，the former head of construction division in Korean-American Allied Forces Demand. He was sentenced five years in prison on charges of giving military contracts to a specific company at the request of Kim Seong-hwan who were arrested for his involvement in the bribery scandal related to Kim Hong-eop，the second son of the former president Kim Dae-jung.

The police also arrested Kim Sang-ok，executive in Hyundai Engineering & Construction，for giving bribe to them. The police said that Kim approached to the military generals through the president of a civil engineering and construction company，known only as “G”，who had close relationship with high ranking military officials.

The police said that the director for the facility construction division Sin Taeg-keun，who transferred to the first reserve in 2001，oversaw the 26 billion won worth of project of constructing outer barbed wire at the Incheon international airport. He received 31 million won from Kim Kwang-uk from Hyundai Engineering & Construction over three times in return for providing preferential condition in construction oversight and change of design.

The police found signatures of the executives of Hyundai Engineering & Construction including then president Kim Un-kew in the payingout slip found in the bag of Kim Kwang-uk. The payingout slip recorded offering of the bribes. The police plans to investigate the executives from Hyundai Engineering & Construction，including the former president Kim Kwang-uk.

Meanwhile，the joint investigation team from the Defense Ministry said that it will embark on an active investigation into the charges of one of the two involved current generals by investigating related documents.

Sun-Woo Kim Sang-Ho Yun sublime@donga.com ysh1005@donga.com