Min Hong-gyu |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Min Hong-gyu, 56, former chief of the state seal crafting team, admitted appropriating 1.2 kilogram of gold remnants left over from making the seal for personal purposes, police said Thursday.
Police plan to request an arrest warrant for Min on fraud and embezzlement charges.
According to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency investigating the suspicions around the state seal, Min pocketed some 600 grams of gold left from the seal-making process and did not return equipment which contained a further 600 grams of the precious metal, which in total was worth about 35 million won at the then-market price.
Police will further investigate what he did with the misappropriated gold. “We suspect him of using the gold for personals seals,” a police officer said.
Min fashioned four gold seals around the end of 2007 and gave them to a politician and a professional golfer.
The others were sold at around 15 million won. Police suspect the gold for the great seal might have been used in these private ones.
The police also found out that the “4 billion won seal of state” Min exhibited at a department store last year, introduced as made of platinum and diamonds, was actually made of brass, nickel and synthetic diamonds and will charge him with attempted fraud.
An investigation team raided Min’s workshop in Gyeonggi Province and found evidence of Min lacking traditional seal making equipment. The seal maker admitted that he did not have the skills during questioning, Wednesday.
According to police, Min said, “There is no secret handed down for 600 years. I made the fourth official state seal in a modern way and I do not know how to make castings.”
Min was also quoted as saying he would issue a public apology.
“There is no master craftsman who can produce the great seal in the traditional way,” the officer said. “Since there is no one to verify Min’s skills, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security signed a contract with Min solely based on his remarks.”
Min was appointed as the chief of the fourth national seal making team after winning the ministry bid in 2006.
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무디스, 스페인·伊·포르투갈 신용등급 강등
