“A Chairman Wielded Violence For His Son”

What is the truth behind Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-yeon’s violent revenge?

Since the police report was released on Tuesday, Hanwha Group has been arguing that Chairman Kim arranged reconciliation between his second son and club employees who hit his son at a club in Seoul. However, the police report and witnesses at the scene say what really happened seems to be totally different from what Hanwha claims.

The incident happened on March 8 when Chairman Kim’s second son, 22, and his friends went to Karaoke G in Cheongdam-dong in Seoul, a luxury district.

The fight began as he and his friends were walking down the stairs to the bar. Their shoulders were hit by other customers’ coming out of the bar. A Mr. Cho punched Kim’s son in the face and the skin below his eye was torn.

Cho and his friends, who are employees of Club S in Bukchang-dong Seoul, went home by taxi at 7:00 a.m. Kim’s son reportedly got 12 stitches at a hospital.

Chairman Kim, who heard the news, went to Karaoke G with his son and 15 bodyguards in the afternoon on that day. He asked Karaoke G to bring those who hit his son before him and five employees of Club S came to the karaoke bar.

Kim, his son and his bodyguards are said to have brought them to a warehouse near Mt. Cheonggye and punished them.

Someone threw a light from a lantern onto the faces of the employees and Kim asked, “Who hit my son?”

An employee of Club S said when the employees pointed at one person, Kim beat him around his eyes, saying, “You hit my son’s eyes and it’s my turn to hit your eyes.”

However, Hanwha Group denied the fact, saying, “We have never heard that they were brought to Mt. Cheonggye.”

Kim and his bodyguards went to Club S at around 7:30 p.m. on the day after finding out that Cho, who beat his son, didn’t come.

Merchants who witnessed this scene said that people got out of six cars holding electric stun guns.

Soon, many people gathered, but Kim and his men didn’t care.

Merchants said as soon as Kim got into the club, he slapped the owner in the face, saying, “Who hit my son?”

Kim and his men went to a room in the club and let the club’s employees bring Cho before him. Some people claimed that all 20 employees were hit during this time.

Nothing is clearly known about the situation in the room, because the only people in it were Chairman Kim, his son, bodyguards, and 10 club employees.

A merchant, who claimed that he heard from an employee of the club, said Kim’s son stopped him from beating Cho and instead Kim told his son to beat him “as much as he wants” and his son battered Cho.

Some people say that Kim himself punched the employee at the time.

However, the Hanwha Group argued, “Kim arranged a reconciliation, offering alcohol and didn’t use violence.”

It is reported that Kim offered a glass of alcohol to each club employee in the room.

Kim gave one million won for alcohol and treatment to the owner but he didn’t receive the money.

The merchants said most club employees came to work on the next day but that one employee who was beaten at Mt. Cheonggye was hurt badly.

The police said they needed more investigation time since those involved in the incident said different things about whether the Club S employees were locked up and hit, whether Chairman Kim himself was involved in the violence, and whether Kim and his men were armed with weapons.

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