Park Yong-sung called in for graft probe

By Kim Rahn

Park Yong-sung

Prosecutors questioned Park Yong-sung, former head of the Chung-Ang University Foundation, Friday, over alleged corrupt ties between the school and a former Cheong Wa Dae official.

Park, also a former chairman of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, is suspected of having offered money to Park Bum-hoon, former senior presidential secretary for education, in return for favors for the university.

The Doosan Group owns Chung-Ang. Park Bum-hoon was president of the school until 2011, before moving to Cheong Wa Dae.

After arriving at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul, Park Yong-sung told reporters, “I’ll sincerely cooperate in the investigation.”

Charges against Park Yong-sung include offering bribes, breach of trust and violating the law on private schools. Prosecutors may indict him without detention.

They allege he offered money and valuables worth some 100 million won ($91,700) to the former presidential secretary between 2011 and 2012, when the school was promoting various projects.

In return, Park Bum-hoon allegedly abused his power to help the university integrate its campuses in Seoul and Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, in 2012 by forcing the Ministry of Education to approve the merger.

The approval saved Doosan Group tens of billions of won because it did not have to secure more land as the ministry initially required.

Park Bum-hoon was arrested last week for allegedly abusing authority, receiving kickbacks and embezzling funds.

He is also suspected of peddling influence to help the school acquire the Red Cross College of Nursing in 2012 without cutting the college’s enrolment, as the law required. In exchange for the favor, he allegedly received some 1.8 billion won from Doosan through a traditional music foundation, where he is chief director, and gift cards worth 7 million won.

Prosecutors suspect Park Yong-sung was directly involved in offering the money to Park Bum-hoon. They secured emails between them, in which the latter promised privileges for the school.

After leaving Cheong Wa Dae, Park Bum-hoon was appointed as an outside director for a Doosan affiliate, and prosecutors believe this was also the result of the allegedly corrupt connection between the two Parks.

The prosecution suspects Park Yong-sung also was involved in Park Bum-hoon’s misappropriation of 10 billion won in donations from Woori Bank in 2008. The money should have been recorded in Chung-Ang’s accounts book but was instead entered into the school foundation’s accounts book.

Park Yong-sung resigned as foundation head and Doosan Heavy chairman last month after his email to Chung-Ang professors containing abusive language and threats was made public.