Chairman Kim Seung-yeon Left the Country A Day Before Exit Ban

The Central Investigation Bureau at the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office said on January 6 that it is now grasping a specific situation after verifying the fact that Hanwha chairman Kim Seung-yeon left for the United States on January 1, right before the exit ban measure went into effect.

Regarding the investigation over the propriety of Hanwha’s illicit donations, an investigation planner, Moon Hyu-nam, said today, “We took the measure of enacting an exit ban against Chairman Kim on January 2, but found that he had left the country on January 1. We cannot know at present whether his purpose in leaving the country was to avoid the investigation.”

The prosecution plans to urge his return through Hanwha and Chairman Kim’s defender while taking action to receive an automatic report when he returns to the country.

In response to this, the prosecution conducted a search and seizure at the restructuring headquarters of Hanwha Group and Chairman Kim’s office in the 63 Building in Yoido this morning.

The prosecution dispatched 10 investigators consisting of experts in computers to the Hanwha head office at 10:30 a.m., securing 25 boxes of various data including accounting books and computers, and is now examining them.

“A search and seizure was conducted against Hanwha to discover illicit funds that Hanwha provided to the political arena related to the company’s illegal fund raising. We are searching 10 other corporations besides Hanwha to different extents and are investigating all related companies,” said investigation planner Moon.

Regarding dealing with seven lawmakers of both the ruling and opposition parties for which the resolution for arrest was rejected at the National Assembly at the end of last year, the prosecution also plans to decide final measures about selecting people for re-requesting a arrest warrants on around January 8, the expiration date of an extra session of the National Assembly.

The prosecution is considering several plans, including arresting urgently all seven when the special session of the National Assembly is not convened again, a plan to re-request the warrant against those who are heavily suspected of crime, and a plan to prosecute all the people without physical restraint.

Wi-Yong Jung Tae-Hoon Lee viyonz@donga.com jefflee@donga.com