Sewol owner's daughter denies allegations

Yoo Som-na, 51, the daughter of the late Yoo Byung-eun, the owner of Cheoghaejin Marine that operated the ill-fated ferry Sewol, enters the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, Wednesday, following her extradition from France. Yonhap

--Yoo Som-na extradited three years after ferry disaster--

By Lee Kyung-min

The daughter of a late businessman whose negligence is believed to have contributed to the 2014 sinking of the ferry Sewol was extradited to Korea, Wednesday, ending a three-year stay as a fugitive in France.

Yoo Som-na, 51, the daughter of Yoo Byung-eun, then Semo Group chairman and de facto owner of its affiliate Cheonghaejin Marine, arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 3 p.m. She is the first person to have been returned to Korea since an extradition treaty between the two countries took effect in 2008.

With a piece of a black cloth covering her handcuffs, Yoo, wearing a white pants suit and khaki jacket, denied all allegations against her in front of the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office where she was taken for questioning.

“The embezzlement allegation is simply preposterous,” she said. “I have worked my entire life and earned money in return for my services. I have never engaged in embezzlement or breach of trust.”

Yoo also denied any involvement in the management of Cheonghajin Marine, the operator of the Sewol, adding the company was not owned by her late father.

“I do not believe news reports about my father being the de facto owner of Cheonghaejin Marine, not to mention how nonsensical that accusation is. It is sheer media speculation,” she said.

Yoo denied she lived the life of a fugitive, implying that she wanted to avoid being made a political scapegoat.

“I only sought protection under the law, regardless of whether it was from a foreign country, to secure myself a fair trial. I think everybody remembers how those in power harshly, politically pushed ahead with the investigation (of companies related to the Sewol sinking). I never fled. I never received a single letter from the prosecution. I expect a fair trial now.”

Yoo said she offered her deepest condolences to the victims of ferry sinking.

“I feel heartbroken thinking about them every time I have water on my hands. I know nothing would console the bereaved families, so I think I should mourn with them.”

She was placed on a Korean Air plane that departed from Charles de Gaulle Airport at around 3:30 a.m. after French police took her into custody at her home, near the Champs-Elysees in Paris. The ultra luxury apartment had a monthly rent of around 10 million won ($8,923).

Yoo had been staying there on a temporary residence visa since February 2013. She was arrested by the French authorities in May 2014, a month after the prosecution here summoned her for questioning over the suspected embezzlement.

Yoo headed the design firm Moreal Design, through which she is suspected of embezzling 8 billion won from company affiliates including Dapanda.

Prosecutors believe the amount is only the tip of the iceberg. They suspect she was also involved in the embezzlement of 49 billion won from Cheonghaejin Marine.

Prosecutors allege the design firm was involved in creating a slush fund using overseas accounts.

Her extradition came five days after the justice ministry said it was notified by France’s supreme administrative court, the Conseil d'Etat, that it had dismissed her appeal against it.

Her father was found dead in June 2014 following a nationwide manhunt, amid investigations into his alleged responsibility for the ferry disaster.

His poor management of the Sewol including illegal modification, overloading of cargo and neglecting emergency crew training is believed to be the main reason for the sinking. He also faced charges of embezzlement, breach of trust and tax evasion.

The 6,800-ton ship sank off the country’s southwestern coast on April 16, 2014, in the country’s worst maritime disaster. More than 300 passengers were killed, most of whom were high school students on a field trip.

Meanwhile, the two-year-old son of Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in the influence-peddling scandal that brought down former President Park Geun-hye, was brought to Korea.

The toddler and his nanny arrived at the international airport, but managed to avoid any media exposure.

Their return came a week following Chung’s extradition from Denmark after she decided to withdraw her appeal fighting the order.

Following her return, the Danish authorities were no longer obliged to protect the child and his nanny.