Why Was a Senior Hwasun County Official Charged With Bribery Over Apartment Sale to Construction Company?

Police Refer Hwasun County Official and Construction Company Head to Prosecution

A senior official from Hwasun County in South Jeolla Province has been referred to the prosecution on bribery charges. The case involves the sale of an apartment owned by the official to the head of a construction company with whom he had work-related ties.

On the 31st, Yonhap News Agency reported that the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit 1 of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency has forwarded A, a fourth-grade official from Hwasun County, and B, the head of a construction company, to the prosecution without detention on charges of bribery and offering bribes, respectively.

Jeonnam Hwasun County Office. Photo by Hwasun County, Yonhap News Agency

A is accused of selling his apartment in Hwasun to B, the construction company head, for approximately 250 million won in April last year. He had purchased the apartment for 233 million won in March 2016. Through this transaction, A made a profit of about 17 million won.

The police determined that the mere fact that A was able to sell the apartment-at a time when there were few transactions for such properties-constituted a bribe. They concluded there was a quid pro quo, taking into account the purpose and necessity of the transaction between the two individuals.

In fact, it is reported that B sold the apartment to a third party for 225 million won just six months after acquiring it from A. This amount is 25 million won less than the purchase price.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the two were caught gambling together, raising suspicions of collusion. On January 18 this year, A was caught by the Government Office for Public Service Discipline Management playing hwatu (a Korean card game) in B’s office and was criminally punished. Three other Hwasun County officials, ranked fifth or sixth grade and engaged in similar work, were also reportedly present.

At the time of the incident, 10 million won in cash was found in the car of one of the officials. This raised suspicions of bribery, but the individual’s explanation that it was “used car purchase funds” was accepted.

Hwasun County plans to decide on disciplinary action against A after reviewing the results of the prosecution’s investigation.