Law Firm Gwangjang Submits Appointment of Attorney Kim Seongtae as Defense Counsel

Former chairman Kim Seong-tae, the real owner of Ssangbangwool Group, who was arrested in Thailand during his overseas fugitive life, is being escorted through Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 17th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] It has been confirmed that former Ssangbangwool Group Chairman Kim Sung-tae, who was apprehended while fleeing abroad and repatriated to South Korea, has appointed a lawyer.

According to the legal community on the 17th, the law firm Kwangjang submitted a notice of attorney appointment for former Chairman Kim to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office.

Until now, legal representation related to Ssangbangwool Group had been handled by the law firm Bae, Kim & Lee LLC. On the 13th, Bae, Kim & Lee also represented four Ssangbangwool affiliate executives who were detained on charges of aiding Kim's overseas escape and destroying evidence related to various corruption allegations.

However, it is reported that former Chairman Kim chose Kwangjang upon recommendation from legal professionals who had served as outside directors of Ssangbangwool Group. Kim is expected to make a final decision on the appointment after meeting with the attorney from Kwangjang.

On the same day, Kim was immediately escorted to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office along with investigators upon his arrival at Incheon Airport in the morning. He is currently being interrogated in the 15th-floor interrogation room of the Criminal Division 6 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-nam).

The prosecution plans to focus on investigations to prove the necessity of Kim's detention until the 18th and then request an arrest warrant from the court.

Kim faces charges including embezzlement and breach of trust, violations of the Capital Markets Act, bribery, and violations of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, leading various corruption scandals surrounding Ssangbangwool Group. He has also been identified as a key figure in allegations related to the payment of legal fees for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and suspicious remittances to North Korea.