A Former FTC Official Took Bribes Worth about 100 Million Won

On May 23, Choi Jae-gyung, the head of special investigations in Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, requested an arrest warrant for a former member of the standing committee of the Fair Trade Commission, Park (64), who allegedly took money from the JU group (about 130 million won) in exchange for aiding the multi-level marketing company while the FTC investigation had been ongoing against the group

Prosecutors arrested another former official, A, who was involved in the bribery scandal in regards to the investigation of the Fair Trade Commission into the group. It is the first time that a high level FTC official in charge of supervising pyramid selling has been arrested.

Park has been charged with taking bribes of about 100 million won for “favorable treatment” when the group was under an FTC investigation of the group’s violations against overpayments for supporting allowances.

Prosecutors said Park made a formal contract with the group as a management adviser, but he was actually playing a role as a lobbyist in the FTC investigation into the JU company.

Park has also been charged with taking 30 million won in response to the company’s request for amending some of clauses related to deduction fees when he was working as an executive for an interest group for the Korean multi-level union from December 2003 to January 2005.

Park had served as an executive of the union after he worked as FTC project director, subcontracting director, and a member of its standing committee.

needjung@donga.com