Former Kia Motors Union Executive Arrested for Pocketing 500 Million Won in 'Job Scam'

Demanded Money from Five Acquaintances
Police Expand Investigation into Additional Offenses

A former union executive has been arrested for fraud after collecting over 500 million won by promising jobs at the Kia Motors Gwangju plant.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Unit announced on the 26th that they had detained former Kia union executive A (in his 50s) on charges of fraud. From 2021 to 2023, while serving as a union executive, A is accused of deceiving five acquaintances by claiming he could secure jobs for their children at Kia Motors, collecting between 80 million and 100 million won from each, totaling 570 million won.

Kia Motors Gwangju Plant Panorama.

A did not return the money to the victims, and as the promised employment never materialized, the victims filed complaints with the police. It has been reported that A voluntarily resigned from the company in January this year.

The police are currently investigating whether A committed additional offenses, and are separately investigating two other suspects who have been accused of similar job fraud schemes involving Kia Motors employment.

This is not the first employment fraud case related to the Kia Motors Gwangju plant. In 2020, a group using the same method was caught after swindling about 13 billion won from more than 630 people, and the ringleader was sentenced to 15 years in prison on appeal.