Former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu reenacted in court the situation where he handed over billions of won in cash to former Deputy Director Kim Yong of the Democratic Research Institute. It was said that several hundred million won were placed inside a shopping bag and the inside of a coat and delivered, but due to the unnatural appearance caused by the weight and volume of the money, the court also expressed suspicion, saying, "It seems like everyone outside could notice."
Stacking 100 million won in 50,000 won bills weighs 2kg
According to the Bank of Korea on the 17th, the dimensions of a 50,000 won bill are 15.4 cm in width, 6.8 cm in height, and 0.11 mm in thickness. The weight of one 50,000 won bill is slightly less than 1 gram, at 0.97 g.
If the 100 million won that former Director Yoo reportedly handed to former Deputy Director Kim were laid out in a single line, the total length would reach 308 meters. Stacked vertically, this 100 million won would be 22 cm high. The weight would be 1.94 kg. Former Director Yoo claimed to have carried this inside his suit, but considering the cash along with the box and shopping bag, an unnatural appearance was inevitable.
If 200 million won, which former Director Yoo said he handed over inside a car near Gyeonggi Provincial Government, were stacked, the thickness would increase to 44 cm and the weight to 3.88 kg. Since this is no longer a weight and volume that can be hidden inside clothing, there would have been no way for Director Yoo not to use a shopping bag either during the court reenactment or at the actual scene (if his testimony is accurate).
200 million won in 10,000 won bills equals two 007 bags and one apple box
Since the 50,000 won bill was first introduced in June 2009, it has become easier to hide large sums of money or hand over bribes. Compared to the 10,000 won bill, the volume is reduced to one-fifth for the same amount of money. There is no longer a need to use checks, which are risky and easy to trace.
To make the same 100 million won with 10,000 won bills, you need 10,000 bills. The weight is 9.4 kg and the height reaches 1.1 meters. In the past, money was mainly delivered in 007 bags or apple boxes. It is known that a 007 bag can hold 10,000 bills of 10,000 won (100 million won), and an apple box can hold 24,000 bills (240 million won). Changing 10,000 won bills to 50,000 won bills means you can fit 500 million won or 1.2 billion won.
The introduction of the 50,000 won bill also simplified the delivery method. Beverage boxes such as Bacchus and Vita 500 have emerged as new carriers. There is a famous anecdote from 2015 where former Gyeongnam businessman Sung Wan-jong handed 30 million won in a Vita 500 box to former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo. Numerous broadcasts have actually experimented and found that these boxes can hold at least 50 million won and up to 100 million won. This amount is similar to that of a 007 bag filled with 10,000 won bills.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
