Corruption Trial

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This week, chiefs of conglomerates will appear as witnesses in a court hearing over the influence-peddling scandal involving ex-president Park Geun-hye and her long-time confidant Choi Soon-sil. The trial for former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Cho Won-dong has resumed after a one-year recess. Cho is accused of forcing CJ Group's Vice Chairwoman Lee Mi-kyung to step down on the order of the ex-president.​​
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Multiple heads of conglomerates will be summoned as witnesses to a court hearing of former President Park Geun-hye. First, CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik appeared as a witness on Monday. On January eleventh, LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo and Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn will be summoned. They will testify about why they provided contributions or promised to do so to the controversial Mir and K-Sport foundations. The foundations have been revealed to be organizations through which the former president pursued her personal interests in collusion with Choi Soon-sil. Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho submitted to the court an explanation that he is unable to appear as a witness, since he has to go on a business trip to the U.S. Prosecutors plan to confirm whether Park or her presidential office pressured the conglomerate chiefs to make contributions to the foundations. In addition to the chaebol chiefs, executives of SK Group and Hyundai Motor will be summoned as well. A trial of former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Cho Won-dong resumed at 4 p.m. on Monday after a nearly year-long recess. It is the first formal court hearing to be held, after trial preparations were completed in January last year. Cho was brought to trial on charges of forcing CJ Group Vice Chairwoman Lee Mie -kyung to step down at the order of the former president. CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-sik will also appear as a witness in Cho's trial to testify whether he was pressured by the former presidential aide. Cho admitted that he had received a related order from Park but claims that he never pressured or threatened to push Sohn out of his position as chairman.