Police Summon Former Coupang CEO Park Daejun over 'Kim Byungki Lunch Allegation'

The police have summoned Park Daejun, former CEO of Coupang, who is suspected of having treated Assemblyman Kim Byungki of the Democratic Party of Korea to lunch.

Yonhap News Agency

The Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on January 8 that it had called in former CEO Park as a reference witness to the Mapo District Investigation Headquarters in the afternoon. The police are investigating what requests and responses were exchanged during the meal with Assemblyman Kim.

Assemblyman Kim is suspected of having had an expensive meal with former CEO Park and others in September of last year, ahead of the National Assembly audit, and of attempting to disadvantage his former aide, who had joined Coupang, in personnel matters. The former aide had previously exposed allegations that Assemblyman Kim had made improper requests regarding his child's university transfer and employment.

The police are also separately investigating allegations that former CEO Park treated Assemblyman Kim to an expensive meal. The Coupang Task Force, established within the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, is in charge of this case.

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Kim maintains that regarding the allegations of being treated to an expensive meal, he only ordered pasta priced at 38,000 won and that he merely requested that his former aide, who had moved to Coupang, not be allowed to use his name for venue reservation work.