KEB Hana Bank searched over recruitment irregularities

KEB Hana Bank headquarters/Yonhap

By Kim Se-jeong

The prosecution searched the headquarters of KEB Hana Bank in Seoul, Thursday, over recruitment irregularities.

The prosecution dispatched 16 investigators to Hana’s headquarters and confiscated relevant documents and computer files from bank President Ham Young-joo’s office and others. But it skipped Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tae’s office and Hana Card offices, one of the group’s affiliates.

On Feb. 1, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) filed a criminal investigation request with the prosecution against Hana, along with four other banks_ KB Kookmin, JB Gwangju, BNK Busan and DGB Daegu _ for allegedly giving favors to certain candidates in recruiting. The FSS uncovered recruitment irregularities in banks during investigations conducted in December and January.

All five banks allegedly awarded jobs to certain people who had connections with high-ranking officials in the banks or children of loyal customers.

The prosecution also searched Gwangju Bank on the same day, while KB Kookmin Bank was searched on Tuesday.

The prosecution suspects Hana Bank’s human resources department kept a list of VIP candidates and knowingly gave their relatives favors during the recruitment process.

One of the VIP candidates was the child of a high-profile former Hana employee and the originally disqualified candidate got the job after obtaining an extra .4 points during a face-to-face interview session.

The prosecution also claimed the bank gave extra points to seven candidates graduating from Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University and the University of Wisconsin and dropped scores for those graduating from less prestigious schools.

The recent revelations demonstrated prevalent recruitment corruption in Korean society.

Kangwon Land, a casino in Gangwon Province, is another hotbed for corrupt hiring practices.

Its CEO Choi Heung-jip was arrested for awarding jobs to more than 500 candidates with high-profile connections with lawmakers and local businessmen between 2012 and 2013. Among lawmakers who made the requests were Rep. Kweon Seong-dong and Yeom Dong-yeol of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.

This week, a chief prosecutor who investigated the case claimed she had to wrap up the case unfinished under mounting pressure from her boss, and Rep. Kweon. Rep. Kweon sued the prosecutor for defamation on Wednesday and boycotted a National Assembly session in protest of ruling party lawmakers who demanded his resignation.

Besides, in 2010, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan left his job after giving his daughter a position in the ministry.