The investigation into the former chairman of the Ssangbangwool Group, Kim Seong-tae, who was arrested on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust, continues even during the Lunar New Year holidays.



Detective Division 6 of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-nam) summoned former Chairman Kim, who was imprisoned in the Suwon Detention Center today (21st), the first day of the holiday, to check the process of fund transactions between affiliates and whether slush funds were created.



Previously, former Chairman Kim was arrested yesterday on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust, violation of the Capital Markets Act, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, bribery, and teacher destruction of evidence under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.



The Suwon District Court issued an arrest warrant requested by the prosecution, saying, "The criminal charges have been clarified and there is a risk of destroying evidence and escaping."



Former Chairman Kim has so far been under investigation without refusal to make statements or the right to remain silent.



Former chairman Kim admitted to some charges against Lee Hwa-young, former deputy governor of Gyeonggi-do, including bribery, evidence destruction, and remittance to North Korea, but denies the rest of the charges including embezzlement and breach of trust.



Former Chairman Kim is known to have stated to the effect that "there was also a lending of money between affiliates as needed, and there may be errors in the process or legal principles in the process, but there was no money stolen for a specific purpose."



In particular, he also denies allegations of non-payment of lawyers, saying that he is not in contact with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myeong.



The prosecution plans to continue the investigation into former chairman Kim during the Lunar New Year holiday.



The prosecution plans to look at the flow of funds, including the issuance and sale of convertible bonds by the Ssangbangwool Group, and to identify the source and reason for the $5 million (approximately 6 billion won) that former Chairman Kim handed over to North Korea twice in 2019.



Prosecutors are also planning to look into the suspicion of Lee Jae-myeong's payment of attorney fees, which was not included in the arrest warrant request.



Former Chairman Kim, who was arrested at a golf course in Pathum Thani, Thailand on the 10th, announced his intention to return home two days later on the 12th, and returned to Korea at around 8:20 am on the 17th.



Yang Seon-gil, current chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, who was arrested and arrested along with former chairman Kim, was charged with embezzlement and breach of trust under the Act on Aggravated Punishment for Specific Economic Crimes.