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Prosecutors are currently investigating the suspicion of sending money to North Korea by the Ssangbangwool group.
During the investigation, it was confirmed that the prosecution secured a statement that former chairman Kim Seong-tae received a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and used it for business.
First, this is reporter Won Jong-jin's exclusive report.
<Reporter>
A businessman who met with the SBS End Panda team explained in detail the close relationship between former chairman Kim Seong-tae and North Korea.
In particular, he said, "In 2019, former Chairman Kim showed off a personal letter sent by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as if showing off, and he invited me to participate in his project in North Korea."
Recently, prosecutors secured multiple statements that Kim Seong-tae received several personal letters from Chairman Kim Jong-un and Kim Yong-chol in the process of investigating those involved in the suspicion of remittances to North Korea by the Ssangbang-wool group.
Kim Young-chul, who is known as the chief of provocations against South Korea, such as the sinking of the Cheonan warship, was the chairman of the Chosun Asia-Pacific Peace Committee in charge of projects against South Korea at the time.
Prosecutors have also secured statements about the delivery route that the letter from Kim Jong-un and others was delivered from an employee of the North Korean consulate general in China to an employee of Ssangbang-wool who visited China to Kim Seong-tae, and is verifying its authenticity.
The Ssangbangwool Group mobilized dozens of executives and employees to smuggle 6.4 million dollars to China, and it is suspected that the personal letter is not a return.
In 2019, when the Ssangbangwool Group signed an economic cooperation agreement with the North Korean National Economic Cooperation Association for mineral resources, energy, and railroad development, the prosecution pays attention to the possibility that Kim Seong-tae used it to attract investment and boost stock prices by showing off personal letters from Kim Jong-un and others. there is.
Prosecutors are also confirming the statement that North Korea's Chosun Asia-Pacific Vice Director Song Myeong-cheol designated Ahn Bu-soo, head of the Asia-Pacific Peace Exchange Association, as a messenger and had continuous contact with the Ssangbangwool group.
Chairman Ahn was recently arrested and indicted on charges of delivering about 80 million won of the donations he received from Ssangbangwool to Kim Young-cheol in North Korea.
(Video coverage: Ha Ryung, video editing: Kim Ji-in, VJ: Kim Jun-ho)
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<Anchor>
Then, let's look at why former chairman Kim Seong-tae put so much effort into building a close relationship with North Korea and how he flaunted it.
Among the affiliates of Ssangbangwool, there was a place that was promoting economic cooperation with North Korea, and it was confirmed as a result of coverage that former chairman Kim had a considerable influence on the company.
It was a structure in which former Chairman Kim monopolized profits even if the company's stock price moved even slightly.
This is the exclusive report of reporter Ko Jeong-hyun.
<Reporter>
In 2016, Ssangbangwool and its affiliate Kwanglim acquired Nanos, which was under court receivership at the time.
Nanos, now renamed SBW Life Sciences, was a company that supplied camera parts to Samsung Electronics and others.
In July 2018, Mr. Lee Hwa-young, who served as an outside director of Ssangbangwool, moved to Gyeonggi-do as vice-governor for peace, and Nanos added mining and overseas resource development to its business purpose in early 2019.
Since then, North Korea experts have been recruited one after another, including former National Assembly spokesman Kim Young-soo, former head of the Hyundai Asan Economic Cooperation Headquarters, Kim Hyeong-ki, former Vice Minister of Unification, and Ahn Bu-soo, head of the Asia-Pacific Peace Exchange Association.
In the stock market, all of them acted as a material for rising stock prices.
What is unusual is the share structure of Nanos.
As of the end of 2017, Ssangbangwool, Kwangrim, and Best Master No. 1 investment associations alone hold more than 97% of Nanos shares.
Best Master's major shareholder is Kim Seong-tae's relative and vault keeper, who is currently fleeing abroad.
[Former business partner Kim Seong-tae: (Equity) Since I own 95%, it is nothing to buy a few shares and go to 1 trillion (market capitalization) without manipulating the stock price.
What if I do business in North Korea?
It's a mess when it comes to 'Daebukju'.]
Earlier this year, a place called Zeus No. 1 Association was newly registered as a shareholder with more than 5%.
[The family of the head of the Zeus 1 Investment Association: What kind of shares do you have?
(Named as the head of the union) Even if it's up, it's the same as a scarecrow.
what power do you have
It's useless.]
It is estimated that around 90% of Nanos shares are actually under the influence of Kim Seong-tae.
Even if the stock price jumps even a little, it is a structure in which Kim Seong-tae monopolizes the profit.
[Former business partner Kim Seong-tae: This case is bigger than Daejang-dong.
(Even if the stock price rises even a little), you will become a conglomerate in an instant.
It is a case in which a 'second Hyundai' is born.]
The prosecution is tracking the flow of funds by paying attention to these investment associations that hold a significant share of Nanos and securing a list of members.
After holding the stake in the form of an investment association under a borrowed name, it is suspected that it was intended to be used as a lobby for political figures.
In fact, Lee Hwa-young, former vice-governor of peace in Gyeonggi-do, is under suspicion of holding shares in Nanos under a borrowed name, and it was investigated that the recently arrested Chairman An Bu-soo also bought shares in Nanos.
(Video coverage: Ha Ryung, video editing: Park Ki-deok, VJ: Kim Jun-ho)