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| Korea Financial Investment Association Chairman Kwon Yong-won / Courtesy of Korea Financial Investment Association |
Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA) Chairman Kwon Yong-won is facing growing criticism for allegedly verbally abusing his driver and other company workers, according to the KOFIA union, Sunday
This isn't the first time for Kwon to face a public outcry. He also ran into heavy flak last year for allegedly using a business trip to the U.S. in November for a vacation.
According to the driver, he has been verbally abused by Kwon since the chairman took office in February 2018.
"You'd better be prepared for tonight. We are going to party until 3:00 a.m. tonight," Kwon said in a tape recording released by the driver. The driver immediately complained, saying the day was his child's birthday.
"This is the reason why you always fail to get credit here, you're dumb," Kwon responded.
Local media outlets said Kwon also sexually objectified women; and allegedly told KOFIA workers they "must know how to beat reporters to death if necessary."
A KOFIA official said Kwon had just come back from a business trip to Argentina, Sunday, and would soon release a statement.
Unionized workers of KOFIA also claimed Kwon's habitual verbal abuse has been one of the lobby group's major issues since he took office.
The November five-day business trip to the U.S. with domestic brokerage CEOs was originally arranged to allow them to visit several global e-commerce and IT firms in Silicon Valley; but they only went to five firms.
The entire tour was financed by the lobby group's member firms, and Kwon reportedly did not submit any report about it.
KOFIA said Kwon was supposed to get an understanding of the latest global trends while arranging potential deals between financial and IT firms.
However, not a single one has been concluded between the tour participants and the companies there to date.
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