Police have again summoned Park Dae-jun, a former Coupang CEO, in connection with allegations that independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee sought personnel disadvantages against his former aide.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crimes Investigation Unit said Tuesday it had questioned Park as a witness. It was Park's second appearance before police in relation to the allegations against Kim, following an initial questioning in January this year.
Kim is suspected of obstruction of business for allegedly meeting Park at a hotel restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, last September and asking him to inflict personnel disadvantages on his former aide, who was then working at Coupang. The employee claims to have subsequently suffered disadvantages, including an unwanted assignment to China and dismissal.
Kim had denied the allegations through Facebook last December. At the time, he wrote, "There were reports that my former 'problematic' aide who joined Coupang was using my name." He added, "I asked that he be barred from meeting staff in the floor leader's office or from conducting government relations work using my name."
On Jan. 29 this year, police searched Coupang's headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul, and other locations, securing related personnel records. The investigation team is expected to determine the direction of the case after comparing explanations from Kim's side, the former aide's statements, and Coupang's internal records.
