Former Generals Linked to Arms-Supply Firms

News reporters confirmed on December 15 that five former generals had been registered as chief executives of an arms-supply firm and a military telecommunications technology supply firm owned by Chung Ho-young, who was arrested for bribery.

Chung was arrested for giving kickbacks of over 200 million won to Lee Won-hyong, the former chief of the Defense Quality Assurance Agency, while his firm was providing technology for an army project to upgrade anti-aircraft firearms for five years, since 1998. He also allegedly offered a bribe of several hundred million won to a member of the pro-government Uri Party in 2000.

It was revealed that another former general was a chief executive at a helicopter mediation firm that is represented by Lee, who was arrested for bribery.

As a result of the legwork, a senior government official at a defense agency known as “A” held office as a corporate supervisor at a military telecommunications technology supply company identified by its initial “H,” from the end of 1998 until the beginning of 2000.

A former general, “B,” worked as an adviser of the company known as H, then as an auditor at the arms-supply firm, known as H as well, until May in 2002.

“C” took charge as a representative director and a director from 1993 through the beginning of 2003.

B and C are alumni of the Military Academy. While Rep. Chun was the Minister of National Defense and director of the National Defense Committee, B and C worked at the two companies of H.

“D” worked as a representative director at H Communication Company, and “E” also took charge of the same position at the two companies.

Police are focusing their investigation on the fact that the timing of Chung’s lobbying of military officials is same as the tenure of the generals working at H arms-supply firm and H military telecommunications technology firm.

Police said, “It is true the former generals are highly involved in Chung’s companies. It’s not clear, however, if they meddled in the lobbying.”

Meanwhile, the reserve generals insisted that they were chief executives of the companies only officially, not practically. They also made it clear that they were not involved in offering and delivering bribes.

A said, “I didn’t know even what kind of company H was. Although I was in a corporate supervisor position, I didn’t play an actual role in the position. I simply answered when the company asked me about the trends in arms systems. I didn’t inquire of the military.”

F said, “I just lent my legal seal to Lee because I was close to him and he asked me to be a corporate adviser.” Other former generals explained, “I lent my name, but in practice did not participate in management.”