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The Korea Herald
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THE INVESTOR
March 29, 2024

Samsung

Ex-Samsung exec admits group’s support for Choi Soon-sil’s daughter

  • PUBLISHED :July 31, 2017 - 15:47
  • UPDATED :July 31, 2017 - 17:47
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[THE INVESTOR] A former Samsung president, involved in the influence-peddling scandal surround the now-impeached President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil, admitted in a court hearing on July 31 that Samsung offered support to help the athletic career of the latter’s daughter Chung Yoo-ra, a former equestrian player.

“Samsung had to run support programs for Chung due to Choi’s backgrounds (including her close ties to former President Park),” said Hwang Sung-soo, a former Samsung senior executive, in the hearing which resumed at 1 p.m. after being adjourned in the morning.


Park Sang-jin, a former Samsung president



“Samsung was aware of the close ties between Park Won-oh, a former executive of the Korean Equestrian Federation, and Choi, who is a long-time confidante of former president Park,” said Hwang, adding the former KEF exec first persuaded Samsung to offer the support programs for Chung.

Worried of retaliatory acts by Choi, who had unusual influence over the government authorities, Samsung had to cater to the demands to support her daughter.

The hearing to question Samsung’s former top executives, allegedly involved in the influence-peddling scandal, was halted shortly after it began at 10 a.m. as the prosecutors were not fully prepared.

The hearing was aimed at quizzing Park Sang-jin and Hwang Sung-soo and three others for their alleged involvement in bribing Choi in return of support for the conglomerate’s power transition from bedridden Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee to his only son and Samsung Vice Chairman Jae-yong.

“The prosecutors prepared questions for Park, but we are not fully prepared for questioning Hwang,” one of the prosecutors said during the trial in the morning.

An official from Samsung claimed that the prosecutors intentionally got the trial halted, probably to tilt the scales in their favor.

Park and Hwang, who served as chairman and vice chairman of Korea Equestrian Federation, respectively, are suspected to have been intermediators between Choi and Lee, offering support programs Choi’s daughter.

Along with Choi Gee-sung and Chang Choong-gi, the former chief and deputy chief of Samsung’s control tower Future Strategy Office, Park and Hwang also masterminded the 43-billion-won schemes to support a range of businesses operated by former President Park’s confidante.

The hearings of Samsung vice chairman and other Samsung top execs, including Choi and Chang are also scheduled for this week.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)

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