The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
  • Multicultural Youth Award
Biz & Tech
  • Auto
  • IT
  • Game
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail & Food
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Airlines
Finance
  • Policies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Banks
  • Non-banks
  • Economic Essay Contest
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • Books
  • Travel & Cuisine
  • Trend
  • Fashion
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
  • K-pop
  • K-dramas & Shows
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Performances
  • Asia Model Festival
Sports
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Baseball
  • Other Sports
World
  • Asia Pacific
  • Americas
  • Europe & Africa
  • SCMP
Video
  • On the Spot
  • Feature
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
Community
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Biz & Tech
  • Auto
  • IT
  • Game
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail & Food
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Airlines
Sun, January 17, 2021 | 11:39
Manufacturing
[EXCLUSIVE] Hyundai admits bribing Indonesian politician for power plant construction
Posted : 2019-05-02 15:18
Updated : 2019-05-02 15:24
Mail
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
The headquarters of Hyundai Engineering & Construction in Seoul. Yonhap
The headquarters of Hyundai Engineering & Construction in Seoul. Yonhap

The headquarters of Hyundai Engineering & Construction in Seoul. Yonhap
Children play in a field near the Cirebon 1 coal-fired power plant in West Java, Indonesia. Hyundai Engineering & Construction is building another coal-fired power plant in the area. Courtesy of Greenpeace

By Jung Min-ho

The headquarters of Hyundai Engineering & Construction in Seoul. Yonhap
Hyundai Engineering & Construction CEO Park Dong-wook
Major Korean builder Hyundai Engineering & Construction has admitted bribing an Indonesian politician for a coal-fired power plant construction project in West Java.

Following repeated Korea Times inquiries, a spokesman at Hyundai's headquarters in Seoul said it gave a large sum of money to Cirebon Regent Sunjaya Purwadisastra through a broker to calm protesting residents in the area over the construction.

"The regent approached us through the broker and offered to resolve the issue," the official said. "For us, it is critical to finish the construction on time; otherwise, we could face a heavy fine. So we gave him money."

According to
local media, Sunjaya demanded bribes from Hyundai, which gave him 6.5 billion rupiah ($460,000) out of a requested 9.5 billion rupiah.

"For a project as big as that, I thought that the district chief should have a share (of the pie)," Sunjaya was quoted in Indonesian as saying.

"Rudiyanto's (a subcontractor) trucks could not enter the area because they were blocked by people who were staging protests. Thanks to our intervention, they were allowed access and he paid us."

Hyundai, one of three main contractors, is building the 1,000 MW Cirebon 2 coal-fired power plant there. Construction began in 2016 with finance from investors including KOMIPO, a subsidiary of the state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation, and is expected to be finished next year.

Sunjaya is standing trial on various corruption allegations, including this case. Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission arrested him and three other regional heads in West Java in its sweeping investigation over the past seven months.

A senior official at international watchdog Global Witness (GW) told The Korea Times that the Korean government and companies are risking their reputations by making wrong investments for the Indonesian coal industry, which often makes headlines in corruption cases.

"Not only is coal increasingly risky, climate-destroying and bad for air pollution, there is now a huge and underestimated corruption risk," GW campaigner Adam McGibbon said.


Emailmj6c2@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
Global Witness urges Korean authorities to probe Hyundai bribery case in Indonesia
Global Witness (GW), a London-based activist group, wants Korean authorities to investigate Hyundai Engineering & Construction after the major Korean builder admitted bribing an In...









 
WooriBank
 
  • Korea eases restrictions on cafes, gyms
  • Uniqlo makes rebound after closing unprofitable stores
  • New virus cases in 500s for 5th day as gov't announces eased restrictions
  • Bangladeshi embassy opens 2021 with series of events
  • Deepfake technology in music welcomed, with caution
  • Establishing laws not panacea for solving social issues
  • Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden's inauguration
  • Tenbagger companies' resurgence in stock markets
  • Pompeo pushes new claim of China covering up COVID origin
  • End of Merkel era begins as German CDU picks new party leader
  • Ex-BIGBANG member Seungri indicted for mobilizing gang members to threaten people Ex-BIGBANG member Seungri indicted for mobilizing gang members to threaten people
  • Film 'Minari' to hit local theaters in March Film 'Minari' to hit local theaters in March
  • BLACKPINK's Jennie gets 600 million YouTube views with debut single 'Solo' BLACKPINK's Jennie gets 600 million YouTube views with debut single 'Solo'
  • K-pop star IU to drop new single 'Celebrity' this month K-pop star IU to drop new single 'Celebrity' this month
  • iKON's Bobby to make solo comeback iKON's Bobby to make solo comeback
DARKROOM
  • Second Trump impeachment [PHOTOS]

    Second Trump impeachment [PHOTOS]

  • Pro-Trump rioters breach the US Capitol

    Pro-Trump rioters breach the US Capitol

  • Our children deserve better (Part 2)

    Our children deserve better (Part 2)

  • Migrants hard hit by COVID-19: UN migration agency

    Migrants hard hit by COVID-19: UN migration agency

  • Happy New Year 2021

    Happy New Year 2021

WooriBank
  • About Korea Times
  • CEO Message
  • Times History
  • Content Sales
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Ombudsman
  • hankookilbo
  • Dongwha Group
  • Code of Ethics
Copyright