Hiring scandal probe may expand to all public companies
By Choi Ha-young
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President Moon Jae-in
The ongoing investigation into suspicious hiring practices at casino operator Kangwon Land should expand to all public and state-owned firms, President Moon Jae-in said Monday.
“While looking into illegal hiring practices at some public firms, we can’t help but suspect the problem could be quite common in all public firms,” Moon said during a meeting with his senior secretaries.
“The public companies involved undermined the fairness of society although they should be examples for private ones. It disappointed citizens and frustrated the young generation.”
The President called for harsh punishment for all officials at the public firms accused of irregularities.
“Please come up with measures to cancel the recruitment of those who got jobs backed by illicit connections with high-ranking officials,” Moon said.
If these problems occur again at public firms, government officials monitoring them will face punishment, Cheong Wa Dae said.
Since last week, the Kangwon Land scandal has been a political hot potato. Rep. Lee Hoon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea revealed that all 518 successful candidates who landed jobs at the casino from 2012 to 2013 had been recommended by the casino’s CEO at the time and then-ruling party lawmakers as well as community leaders.
Unprecedentedly, Rep. Lee revealed the list of the incumbent lawmakers who solicited for their acquaintances’ jobs ― Reps. Kweon Seong-dong, Yeom Dong-yeol, Han Sun-kyo, Kim Han-pyo and Kim Ki-sun ― all from the conservative Liberty Korea Party.
As well as the casino, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) found irregularities at more public companies ― the Financial Supervisory Service, Korea Coal Corporation, Korea Institute of Design Promotion and Busan Port Security Corporation.
The state auditor said those organizations’ hiring systems were favorable to applicants with relationships with high-ranking officials.