April 27, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn berated his youngest son Kim Dong-seon and called on him to be punished accordingly after he was arrested for drunken misdemeanor.

“The chairman said the (incident) should not be downplayed or glossed over in any way, and that Dong-seon should be punished accordingly for his crimes,” Hanwha Group said in a statement on Jan.6. 

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, his wife and their son Dong-sun.

On Jan. 5, Dong-seon -- currently the head of the new growth strategy team at Hanwha Engineering & Construction -- was arrested on charges including battery and damaging public property under influence. He had been drinking with friends at a bar in southern Seoul when he allegedly slapped bar employees. Later, he damaged a police car and insulted officers who had come to investigate the scene.

This is the not the first time the Hanwha heir has come under fire for drunken misdemeanor. In 2010, he was given a suspended sentence for assaulting employees at a hotel bar.

As a member of the Hanwha Galleria equestrian team, Dong-seon also made headlines for having competed in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games alongside Chung Yu-ra, daughter of the beleaguered presidential confidante Choi Soon-sil.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)