South Korean police have conducted additional search-and-seizure operations in connection with allegations that Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) compiled a so-called "union blacklist." Although Samsung's labor and management have agreed to withdraw related complaints, police plan to continue their investigation.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said at a regular press briefing Thursday that it carried out a third round of searches on October 28-29 in connection with the alleged union blacklist at Samsung Electronics.
Earlier, on October 20, Samsung's labor and management reached a tentative agreement on wage negotiations and agreed to withdraw various complaints related to the blacklist allegations. Despite this, police plan to continue the related investigation. "This case is not a crime requiring a victim's complaint, so even if both parties have reached an agreement, the investigation will in principle continue," a police official said.
Through this search, police seized computers belonging to four IP users whose abnormal access records were identified, as well as one individual suspected of leaking employees' personal information. Police plan to summon those involved for questioning once the analysis of seized materials is complete.
Samsung Electronics filed a complaint with police in April this year, alleging that documents containing information on union membership had been compiled using employees' personal information. The company subsequently filed an additional complaint over allegations that a specific employee had collected employees' personal information without authorization and provided it to a third party.
Separately, police arrested a woman in her 30s on charges of illegal fundraising in connection with a case in which a group collected approximately 24 billion won in investment funds under the pretext of proxy stock investment before disappearing. The woman had fled overseas. The number of victims in the case has been identified as 104.
In a separate illegal private lending case involving a "gift certificate pre-sale" scheme, police plan to soon summon a man in his 30s for questioning. He is a suspect in the death of a woman in her 30s. Police have so far identified 40 victims of violations of the Lending Business Act and are investigating whether there are additional victims.
