“Academic Celebrity Involved in Military Corruption”

The 6th Division of Seoul Eastern District of Prosecutors’ Office (led by chief prosecutor Kim Hoe-jae) announced on Tuesday that evidence was found showing that a celebrity in the education circle named a third person as the CEO of his IT company and hired his son as an employee in order to substitute mandatory military service for alternative military service.

A prosecutor said, “We have already raided the company and investigated related people, and yesterday someone reported again that his son did not work at all. As soon as we confirm the suspicion, we will subpoena and investigate him.”

The prosecutor avoided any comments on him except that he has wide acquaintances with people in the business and academic circles.

As prosecutors began a major investigation into approximately 1,800 companies in Seoul that offer alternative military service, various military corruption cases have been unveiled.

The prosecutors are focusing on the suspicion that some companies borrowed hundreds of millions of won from a private money lender for a day to get a permit for alternative military service, and after they pay back the money, they illegally send alternative military service men to other companies with no permits.

Moreover, they are investigating how some companies were designated as an alternative military service company before they were even established as a corporation. In fact, even though some companies built corporations in 2003, they were designated as a company for alternative military service in 2000.

A person who knows well about the industry said, “Either companies have fabricated documents or the Office of Military Manpower Administration connived at companies which were not yet established.”

The prosecutors have secured arbitrarily submitted documents such as a document for establishing a corporation, lists of major stockholders, and lease contracts from 300-400 companies and are checking out whether these companies were virtually run or if they are fake companies.

hyejin@donga.com