Partner Company’s President Seen on Site of Assault

After ordering the victims to confront “D” construction company’s president Kim, who voluntarily reported to the police office on May 7, and to identify chairman Kim’s photo, the police reportedly secured statements from the victims verifying “president Kim’s presence at the site of the attacks” on May 8 in its investigation into Hanwha Group’s chairman Kim Seung-yeon’s suspected revenge attack.

The police indicted chairman Kim without detention on charges of using violence on this day. During investigation and the cross-examination, however, chairman Kim asserted his innocence by denying his involvement in the assault.

At around 11:00 a.m. on May 8, Hanwha’s chief secretary Kim, a key member involved in this incident, showed up voluntarily at the Namdaemun police station and faced investigation as well.

The police believe that the Hanwha chairman contacted president Kim of the construction company on the day of the assault, March 8, and asked for help to mobilize some people.

However, when president Kim appeared at the police, accompanied by two lawyers, he explained through a 3-page document titled “A Letter to the Media,” “I do not know the gangsters at all and employees from the S club in Bukchang-dong willingly agreed to move to another site. Neither kidnapping nor confinement happened.”

It is the first time that Hanwha stated it had taken employees from S club in a car. If the destination referred to is Mount Cheonggye, it will negate the statement by Hanwha who denied being at Mount Cheonggye.

The police are tracing the identities and whereabouts of the suspects who made phone calls to chairman Kim, president Kim, and Oh (54), a middle boss of the Beomseobang faction who was present at the two sites of the assault.

The police suspects president Kim and Oh to have gathered gangsters in order to take them to the sites of the assault upon being asked for help from the Hanwha Group.

As for Oh, who left for Canada on April 27, the police have asked Interpol to trace his whereabouts and are expected to place Oh on the wanted list and detain him after issuing an arrest warrant and a request for extradition.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Southern District Court inquired into the request from the Hanwha Group to apply a provisional broadcasting prohibition against the KBS TV program, “Hanwha Group’s case, is it an avoidance of a prompt investigation or covering up for the chairman?” which was scheduled to be aired on May 9. The court stated, “It is hard to judge without knowing the details,” and decided to reexamine it after first having a look at the scenario.