Police Raid Firm Linked to Roh’s Kin

The Seoul district prosecutor’s office, which is investigating the gambling scandal over video slot machine gaming, recently seized and searched the headquarter of Woojyun Systec, where a nephew of President Roh Moo-hyun, Roh Ji-won, served as director.

Woojyun Systec is an information communication equipment company which Ziko Prime, the seller of the slot machine “Sea Story” acquired for a backdoor listing. Roh Ji-won left the company on July 6 when the prosecution seized and searched Ziko Prime.

The prosecutor’s office is probing the head of Ziko Prime, Choi Jun-won, who is under custody, to investigate the reason why he received a government subsidy of 6.5 billion won in the process of the acquiring Woojyun Systec.

The prosecutor’s office requested an arrest warrant for Kim Min-seok, president of the Korea Computer Game Industry Association on charges of illegal lobbying.

Kim allegedly received about 200 machines (worth 1.7 billion won) from Hyundai Korea, a manufacturer of a game machine “Golden Castle” in exchange for helping the company pass the review of the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB). Kim is also alleged to have operated a game arcade where 150 out of the 200 machines are set up under the name of another person.

The office noted that Kim Moon-hee, the former senior member of Culture and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly, submitted a report against the bill on abolishing vouchers used for game prizes at gaming arcades and decided to investigate Kim as a witness sooner or later.

The prosecutor seized and searched the offices and houses of the four brokers including Lee, who allegedly lobbied politicians and officials, and of six people who were involved in the process of designating the voucher issuers.

woogija@donga.com