By Lee Kyung-min
The prosecution said Tuesday it has launched an investigation into alleged embezzlement, breach of trust and fraud surrounding Kim Kang-yoo, the founder and president of Gimmyoung Publishers.
Prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office questioned the company's former President Park Eun-joo and two former company employees, Monday, who filed a complaint two weeks ago against Kim.
After reviewing their testimony and other findings, prosecutors will summon Kim.
The prosecution questioned them over how much Kim allegedly embezzled and whether he used it to create a slush fund.
The three claimed that Kim inflicted financial losses worth 3.5 billion won on the company by pressuring them to financially support his brother's company. They also said he embezzled some 3.6 billion won from the company by receiving a paycheck regularly and using corporate credit cards even though he did not show up for work and did not deal with company affairs.
Park also claimed that when she was in a dispute with Kim over the managerial rights of the company, Kim forced her to give up the right, promising that he would give her 4.5 billion won in compensation ― a promise that was not kept, she said.
Park began serving as the company head in 1989 at the age of 32 after Kim resigned the president's position and gave his full support to her. Kim reportedly left the position to practice asceticism in the mountains, and it is said that Park also practiced it for 20 years living in a temple that Kim owns.
Under Park's management, the publisher's sales increased five times over two decades. She resigned suddenly in May.
The prosecution said Tuesday it has launched an investigation into alleged embezzlement, breach of trust and fraud surrounding Kim Kang-yoo, the founder and president of Gimmyoung Publishers.
Prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office questioned the company's former President Park Eun-joo and two former company employees, Monday, who filed a complaint two weeks ago against Kim.
After reviewing their testimony and other findings, prosecutors will summon Kim.
The prosecution questioned them over how much Kim allegedly embezzled and whether he used it to create a slush fund.
The three claimed that Kim inflicted financial losses worth 3.5 billion won on the company by pressuring them to financially support his brother's company. They also said he embezzled some 3.6 billion won from the company by receiving a paycheck regularly and using corporate credit cards even though he did not show up for work and did not deal with company affairs.
Park also claimed that when she was in a dispute with Kim over the managerial rights of the company, Kim forced her to give up the right, promising that he would give her 4.5 billion won in compensation ― a promise that was not kept, she said.
Park began serving as the company head in 1989 at the age of 32 after Kim resigned the president's position and gave his full support to her. Kim reportedly left the position to practice asceticism in the mountains, and it is said that Park also practiced it for 20 years living in a temple that Kim owns.
Under Park's management, the publisher's sales increased five times over two decades. She resigned suddenly in May.
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