Yoo's eldest son to be called in
Yoo Byung-il, left, elder brother of the former Semo Group Chairman Yoo Byung-eun, appears at the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, Sunday, while Jeon Yang-ja, president of Gookje Yeongsang, exits the office hours prior to his arrival. The two were questioned over allegations that they had helped manage the de facto owner’s business portfolio, which includes Cheongjhaejin Marine, operator of the sunken ferry Sewol. / Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
The prosecution will call in Yoo Dae-gyun, the eldest son of the former Semo Group Chairman Yoo Byung-eun, for questioning today.
He is the largest stakeholder of Chonghaejin Marine, the operator of the sunken ferry Sewol. His father will be summoned this week at the earliest.
The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office suspects that he had pocketed the affiliates' money and helped his father create secret funds.
On Sunday, the former chairman's elder brother, Yoo Byung-il, was questioned over his involvement in Chonghaejin Marine. He was the first to be questioned among the members of the Yoo family.
Yoo's second son, Yoo Hyuk-kee, defied the prosecution's previous summons. He is known as the heir apparent of Yoo's empire.
Yoo Byung-il is suspected of having played a role in adding more cabins to the ferry, one of the suspected reasons for the sinking.
The prosecution has so far questioned many of Yoo's inner circle who are suspected of helping him hide money away.
Chae Gyu-jeong, CEO of Onzigoo, was summoned Sunday for allegations that he purchased photographs taken by Yoo at prices far more than their apparent value. Onzigoo is an auto parts making affiliate.
Before taking the post in 2008, Chae served as vice governor of North Jeolla Province and mayor of Iksan.
Prosecutors suspect Chae has been deeply involved in creating secret funds for Yoo and bribing politicians.
On Saturday, Jeon Yang-ja, a 72-year-old actress and the president of Gookje Yeongsang, was grilled over allegations that she had deeply involved in creating the Yoo family's secret funds.
She denied she was given any orders from Yoo in running the company.
The media company is considered a key affiliate of Semo because the senior Yoo held a 28.8 percent stake in the unit until 2009.
He gave up his shares in other affiliates of Semo after it went bankrupt in 1997. Those shares were distributed to affiliates, including Chonghaejin Marine, Ahae, Chonhaeji and Moonjin Media.
Jeon has been believed to be one of the closest friends of Yoo, serving as the head of a facility of a religious cult, "Salvation Sect," as well as a food and grocery distributer.
The sect is an evangelical Baptist-style church created by Yoo and his father-in-law. It was ousted from the Christian churches council for being “heretical.”
While Yoo is allegedly involved with financial illegalities by prosecutors at Incheon, a joint prosecution-police team investigating the ferry's sinking is considering filing negligent homicide charges against him.
Of 476 on board the ill-fated vessel, 275 have been confirmed dead and 29 are unaccounted for, so far. One hundred and seventy-two people were rescued.