Time for truth has come: Maestro Chung Myung-whun

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Chung Myung-whun

Maestro Chung Myung-whun, the former director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), arrived in Korea Wednesday morning to be questioned by the police and the prosecution for alleged defamation.

Chung said the truth will be revealed soon, upon arriving at Incheon International Airport. "I don’t think I am being investigated but the time for truth has come," Chung said in the airport’s arrival hall after arriving from Munich, Germany.

The maestro has been in a legal dispute with former SPO CEO Park Hyun-jung and will be questioned at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Thursday.

Park was accused of verbally and sexually abusing SPO employees, but the police dismissed charges against her in August 2015. Park sued Chung for defamation, claiming that he represented the allegations as true in interviews.

Chung countercharged Park with false accusations and libel.

After the prosecutor’s investigation Thursday, Chung is scheduled to show up at Seoul Jongno Police Station Friday for allegations of misappropriation while he was in the SPO. Chung, who spent 10 years as conductor of the SPO, was accused of improperly using orchestra-funded airline tickets, leading to civic organizations such as the Korea Society Normalization Campaign filing complaints against him.

The police said they received details related to airfare and Chung has been summoned to confirm some of the issues.

Chung planned to accompany the debut album of pianist Cho Seong-jin, the winner of the Chopin Competition 2015, but plans fell through.

Chung contributed the reason for the cancelation to chronic back pain. "But I am fine now and I just conducted an opera at Milan’s La Scala," Chung said. "I believe we will have another opportunity."