The Prosecution Will Not Prosecute Lee Kun-hee and Chung Mong-koo

In the ongoing investigation into illicit presidential funds, the central investigation bureau of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office (Senior Prosecutor Ahn Dae-hee) announced on April 11 that it would not prosecute Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee and Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo as long as specific evidence that they had ordered the provision of illicit finds, as had been previously reported, was not revealed.

“Most of the heads of Restructuring Headquarters of each group denied their supreme leaders’ involvement in it by saying that they had reported to them after providing the funds, and it is difficult to hold them criminally responsible since there is no evidence to prove related suspicions,” said a prosecution officer.

The prosecution said that it plans to deal with Lotte, Hanjin, Gumho, and Hanhwa in succession this week, of which the first stage of investigation was already completed.

The prosecution will decide on further judicial action at around the end of the month after additional investigations into Samsung, Hyundai, Dongbu, and Booyoung.

Previously, the prosecution indicted LG group vice president Kang Yoo-sik, the former head of the company’s corporate restructuring office, for providing 15 billion won to the Grand National Party.

The prosecution did not book LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo because evidence proving his complicity with vice president Kang was not acquired.

Meanwhile, on April 10 the Korean Bar Association issued a statement on the prosecution’s indictment against entrepreneurs and its non-prosecution of entrepreneurial supreme leaders, criticizing the two different approaches. “The prosecution should not compromise because of political practices and economic reality,” the statement said.

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