The police have launched a compulsory investigation into allegations that operators of wedding halls at Navy hotels have signed preferential exclusive contracts with the Navy.
The Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on August 26 that it had conducted a search and seizure of the wedding hall at the Seoul Navy Hotel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, securing internal documents.
Previously, the Navy had filed a complaint with the police against the operators of the Navy hotel wedding halls over suspicions that they had maintained preferential exclusive contracts for 13 years. The wedding halls at the Navy hotels in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, have each been operated by a specific company since 2012. It is known that the revenue split between the companies and the Navy is 70% for the companies and 30% for the Navy.
Despite this disadvantageous structure for the Navy, it was found that the Navy guaranteed the companies' monopoly through private contracts. There were also receipts for business expenses indicating that the two companies had entertained current and former Navy officials.
The Ministry of National Defense Audit Office also began an audit related to this matter on August 11.
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