Korean Job Discussion Forums

[garykasparov]

Tax chief arrested on bribery charges

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2007/11/07/200711070040.asp

Jun Gun-pyo, the commissioner of the National Tax Service, was arrested yesterday on charges of bribery.

A Busan district court issued the arrest warrant for the top tax official, citing the seriousness of the crime and the possibility of his manipulating the evidence.

He became the first incumbent tax chief ever to be arrested. Immediately after the warrant was issued, he offered to resign. President Roh Moo-hyun will accept his resignation, Cheong Wa Dae said.

"There is a big chance that he may destroy evidence, considering that, as the incumbent head of the NTS, he could influence the witnesses who are his subordinates," judge Goh Yeong-tae said.

Jun is suspected of having received 60 million won ($66,000) in cash last year from Chung Sang-gon, the former head of the Busan Regional Tax Office. Chung allegedly asked for a promotion. The kickback is believed to be part of 100 million won that Chung got from Kim Sang-jin, a Busan-based building contractor who asked Chung to help him evade tax investigations. Both Chung and Kim were arrested on the charges.

Jeong Yoon-jae, President Roh Moo-hyun's former protocol secretary, was also implicated in the bribery scandal. He is charged with receiving 20 million won from the businessman for lobbying some tax authorities. Jeong arranged a dinner meeting between Kim and Chung last year. The former presidential aide, who was arrested on Oct. 18, is also charged with exploiting his influence to help Kim win a lucrative redevelopment project in Busan.

According to the prosecution office, Jun directed Lee Byeong-dae, current head of the BRTO, to persuade Chung to reverse his statement that Jun had received the money. Jun has denied the allegations.

"I don't accept the allegations. The court, I believe, will carry out a fair examination into them," Jun said yesterday before attending a court review of the prosecution's request for his arrest warrant.


By Song Sang-ho


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2007.11.07

[mindmetoo]

I've commented previously that there's a certain bias to compare the worst of korea to the best of your country. For example, I'll snicker at the worst of Korean corporate maleficence to the best examples of corporate governance in North America.

However, this is just beyond the pale. The head of the tax division should be the one guy beyond reproach. How many heads of the IRS or Rev Can or the Federal Bank or the Bank of Canada are ever charged with fraud?

And worse. The chump change these people get:

"Jun is suspected of having received 60 million won ($66,000) in cash last year from Chung Sang-gon"

Keep an eye out in future for this stuff, check out the piddly amounts mayors and judges accept. Just not worth ruining your career, your family, and ending up your life being fished out of the Han river.

It's been said that the 10,000 won being the hghest denomination keeps bribery to a dull roar. "I won't do it for less than a billion won!" "Sure, where do you want the dump truck of cash?"