Irreversible

Korea Crime Scene Investigation staff carry the corpse of Sung Wan-jong, who hanged himself at Mt. Bukhan in Seoul on April 9.
Korea Crime Scene Investigation staff carry the corpse of Sung Wan-jong, who hanged himself at Mt. Bukhan in Seoul on April 9.

 

Sung Wan-jong, the chairman of Keangnam Enterprises, admitted to giving bribes to Kim Ki-chun and Heo Tae-yeol, former chief secretaries of the Blue House, before ending his own life yesterday.

He told the Kyunghyang Shinmun, just before committing suicide, that he had handed over US$10 million to Kim Ki-chun at the Lotte Hotel’s fitness club in Sept. 2006, when Park Geun-hye, a senator at the time, was visiting Germany. He also said that he gave 700 million won (US$640,213) to Heo Tae-yeol during the presidential candidate nomination of the Grand National Party (now called the Saenuri Party). 

In response, Kim Ki-chun told Yonhap News that Sung Wan-jong’s statement is not true, offering his condolences on his death. 

Blue House spokesman Min Kyung-wook gave no comment. 

Sung Wan-jong, the chairman of Keangnam Enterprises, committed suicide on April 9 while prosecutors were investigating his connection to corrupt overseas resource developments.

He was found dead near the ticket house of Hyeongje Peak on Mt. Bukhan at 3:30 p.m., police said. He left his house in Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at about 5:10 a.m., leaving a suicide note, police also revealed.

Sung Wan-jong’s family refused to publicize the suicide note in which he reportedly expressed chagrin, connoting suicide.  

He said that the charges of embezzlement of governmental loans during resource development was not the case. He had been a hard worker for President Park Geun-hye, rather than for former President Lee Myung-bak.

Sung Wan-jong’s suicide seems to be due to the frustration of being disrespected as an amoral businessman, unable to come back to his business, regret for his relatives, and chagrin for the current regime targeting him as a Lee Myung-bak man.

His death put a stop to prosecutors who had charged him for embezzling about 250 billion won (US$229 million) from his company and receiving 800 billion won (US$731 million) of governmental loans by fabricating the financial status of his company. The prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for him on April 6. There was going to be a review for the arrest of Sung Wan-jong on April 9.

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