Kia`s Gwangju Plant Union President Arrested

Mr. Jung Byung-yeon, 45, the Gwangju plant labor union president of Kia Motors, was urgently arrested yesterday by the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Investigation Team (Chief Lee Gwang-hyung) on the suspicion of receiving about 180 million won in return for hiring irregular workers at the automaker’s Gwangju plant.

Mr. Jung voluntarily appeared in the prosecutors’ office with his defense lawyer yesterday afternoon.

As Mr. Jung acknowledged his suspicion of being given about 180 million won from parents of eight who were offered a job, prosecutors are questioning Jung and investigating closely the scandal in the search for another corruption revelation such as whether there are other members of labor union management involved in the money-for-job scandal, whether Kia Motors was connected.

It was known that prosecutors were checking the allegation that several employees of Kia Motors as well as the labor union had been involved in the bribery scandal.

Meanwhile, it was insisted that a high official of Gwangju city has solicited special favors of the labor union at Gwangju plant for employment.

In addition to the prosecutors’ investigation, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) plans to commence an on-site examination from January 25 by organizing an investigation committee for the money-for-job scandal of the Kia Motors’ labor union.

Meanwhile, prosecutors also began to investigate the Busan Shipping labor union executives for their suspicion of money-scandal at recruiting and personnel transfer process, just like the bribery scandal surrounding the Kia Motors’ labor union at the Gwangju plant.

The Third Detectives’ Office of the East Busan District (Chief Prosecutor Kim Jin-soo) arrested a man called Kim (49, department leader of the cold storage warehouse), a member of the Busan Shipping labor union on the charge of appointing an employee after receiving money. (violation of the Labor Standards Act)