Police Seek Warrant for Former Union Executive Who Pocketed Billions with Kia Motors Job Scam

Received Hundreds of Millions of Won from Five Acquaintances
Additional Fraud Cases Also Under Investigation

A former labor union executive has been taken into custody for investigation on charges of collecting hundreds of millions of won by promising employment at the Kia Motors Gwangju plant.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Unit announced on the 20th that it had applied for a pretrial detention warrant for Mr. A (in his 50s) on charges of fraud.

Kia Motors Gwangju Plant Overview.

Mr. A is accused of receiving tens of millions of won from five acquaintances?between 80 million and 100 million won each, totaling several hundred million won?from 2021 to 2023, while serving as a union executive at the Kia Motors Gwangju plant, in exchange for promising jobs for their children. However, Mr. A resigned earlier this year, failed to keep his promises, and did not return the money, prompting the victims to file complaints with the police.

In addition to Mr. A, Gwangju police have also received complaints and are expanding their investigation into two other individuals who allegedly committed separate frauds using promises of employment at Kia Motors as bait.

Meanwhile, such employment fraud has occurred before. In 2020, a group was caught after collecting over 13 billion won from around 630 victims by promising jobs at the Kia Motors Gwangju plant. The main perpetrator, a man in his 30s, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on appeal.