Dongkuk Steel heir booked over bar fight

By Lee Han-soo

Dongkuk Steel, one of Korea’s top steel producers, is facing criticism after police booked company heir and board member Chang Sun-ik for allegedly causing trouble at a bar.

The incident allegedly happened on Monday in Hannam-dong, Seoul, while Chang was celebrating his birthday with friends.

The ruckus allegedly broke out after Chang and a waiter scuffled over Chang’s bill.

Chang, enraged and drunk, allegedly threw a cup into the display case, shattering five whiskey bottles, before responding police booked him without detention.

Initial media reports said the bar charged Chang 300,000 won ($248) for a cake, sparking the argument. But this turned out to be wrong.

“We don’t even sell cake at our bar,” the bar manager, angered by the misreport, told Media Today, a Korean news outlet. “Chang gave us 100,000 won to go out and buy a cake for him and we even gave back the change after buying the cake.”

Dongkuk Steel is also in a bind after the company faced criticism for giving Chang, 34, a quick promotion to the board of directors on Dec. 2.

The fact Chang Sae-joo, Chang’s father and company owner, is serving three years and six months in prison for embezzling company money is not helping.

On Wednesday, Chang wrote a sincere apology to the bar staff and his company, but this has done little to stem public criticism of the company’s owner family.