Eastar Air CEO Kim Yu-sang Resigns Amid 'Hiring Corruption Allegations'..."Eastar and Lee Sang-jik Are Unrelated"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Kim Yusang, CEO of Eastar Jet, who is under prosecution investigation for allegations of irregular hiring, has decided to resign.

On the 23rd, Kim announced in a "Resignation Statement" sent to company employees, "I am sorry to resign at a time when everyone should unite," and added, "I hope that my resignation as CEO will serve as an opportunity to correct the distorted views about Eastar Jet."

Kim, a former aide to former lawmaker Lee Sangjik, has been continuously suspected of being connected to Lee.

Kim stated, "There were concerns that misunderstandings and prejudices about Eastar Jet might arise due to my association with the founder," and emphasized, "I can clearly say that former lawmaker Lee Sangjik has absolutely no connection with the current Eastar Jet, especially the acquirer Seongjeong."

He continued, "It has been several years since I last contacted former lawmaker Lee," and said, "Despite these burdens and concerns, I have come this far following the wishes of Chairman Hyung Namsun of Seongjeong, who asked me to stabilize the employees' positions."

Kim explained, "I took office as CEO in January 2021, just before bankruptcy, and subsequently proceeded with the rehabilitation process as a joint administrator," adding, "I met Seongjeong, the 'angel,' which led to the acquisition."

He further said, "Just before the final normalization stage, all procedures were halted due to a misunderstanding by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport regarding the submission of false documents, and I even faced a police investigation, which was devastating as a CEO," and added, "I had to reconsider performing my duties as CEO because even stepping forward could cause misunderstandings."

He stated, "Everything was the responsibility of the CEO, and the burden of shortcomings should be borne by the CEO, not the employees," and said, "I hope the remaining process will be carried out with the best efforts as it has been, and only the results of the efforts of executives and employees will be the sole measure to evaluate Eastar Jet."

He said, "The police have notified me that there is no charge regarding the false submission," and requested, "For the sake of employees and the acquiring company, I ask for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's active interest and support to expedite the resumption of flights."

Eastar Jet recently received a dismissal of charges regarding allegations of submitting false documents during the process of obtaining the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's international air transport business license, but it has been embroiled in controversy again over allegations of hiring irregularities. The allegations claim that Eastar Jet received unfair recommendations from political figures during the past recruitment of flight attendants and pilots.

The Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office is accelerating the investigation into the hiring irregularities by conducting searches of the homes of former lawmaker Lee, former Eastar Jet CEO Choi Jonggu, and CEO Kim. On the 23rd, it was reported that the prosecutors also searched the home of an Eastar Jet employee and secured files and documents stored on computers and other devices.