Office and Financial Services Union: "Sancheong NongHyup Cooperative Head Suspected of Embezzling Wildfire and Flood Relief Supplies ... Calls for Investigation"

The local labor community has called for a swift investigation, raising allegations that the head of a regional NongHyup cooperative in Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do, diverted relief supplies that were meant to be delivered to residents affected by a major wildfire and extreme heavy rains in the area this year.

On November 12, the National Office and Financial Services Workers' Union Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters held a press conference in front of the NongHyup Central Federation Gyeongnam Headquarters in Seongsan-gu, Changwon City.

The National Office and Financial Services Workers' Union Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters held a press conference in front of the Nonghyup Central Federation Gyeongnam Headquarters located in Seongsan-gu, Changwon City, urging an investigation into the embezzlement allegations against the Sangcheong County Nonghyup cooperative head. Photo by Lee Seryung

They claimed, "Some of the relief supplies sent by NongHyup cooperatives across the country for wildfire and flood victims in Sancheong County were delivered by the Sancheong County NongHyup cooperative head and executives to unidentified recipients, distributed as commemorative gifts to the delegates' council, or hidden in storage and left to rot."

They further explained, "If the cooperative head personally selected recipients and distributed the supplies at his own discretion, this constitutes embezzlement or breach of duty."

The union demanded, "Investigative authorities must quickly and thoroughly look into why the cooperative head personally transported relief items after attaching separate stickers, why salt with messages wishing for swift recovery was repackaged and distributed as gifts to the delegates' council, and why items such as dried yellow corvina and songpyeon rice cakes remain in cold storage, rotting instead of being delivered to affected residents."

They also pointed out, "There is evidence that funds raised for wildfire victims and those raised for flood victims were combined and used together. While both disasters occurred in Sancheong, combining the donations is not in line with the central federation's guidelines, the perspective of the affected residents, or common sense."

An official from the National Office and Financial Services Labor Union Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters submitted a special audit request regarding embezzlement suspicions of the Sancheong County Nonghyup Cooperative Chairman to the Nonghyup Central Association Gyeongnam Headquarters, and filed a complaint with the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency. Photo by Lee Seryung

The union appealed, "The NongHyup Central Federation should establish practical measures to protect NongHyup from illegal acts by cooperative heads, such as improving the regional cooperative audit system, addressing irregularities in executive elections, suspending executives from duty when illegal acts are detected, and referring violations to investigative authorities."

After the press conference, the union submitted a special audit request to the NongHyup Central Federation and filed a complaint with the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency.