Posted on 08/03/2003 3:45:21 PM PDT by HAL9000
SEOUL, South Korea, Aug 03, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Chung Mong-hun, top executive of South Korea's Hyundai conglomerate who was embroiled in a scandal over a historic 2000 summit between the two Koreas, commits suicide Monday, a police source says."Mr. Chung jumped off his office in the 12th floor of the Hyundai headquarters building" in central Seoul, said a police officer who only gave his last name Park.
Chung was first found dead on the ground by his female secretary, Park said
Copyright 2003 Associated Press, All rights reserved
Hyundai Asan Chairman Chung Jumps Himself to Death
Seoul, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- Chung Mong-hun, chairman of Hyundai Asan Co., leaped himself to death from his office in central Seoul early Monday, Hyundai officials said.
The motive for Chung's suicide was not known immediately.
Why not? Sure cuts short the old "to do" list, doesn't it?
From awse.com - Monday, 02 Jun, 2003 -
Hyundai official grilled in inter-Korean summit scandal
SEOUL - Prosecutors questioned a top executive of Hyundai conglomerate after detaining a former aide to ex-President Kim Dae-jung in a scandal over a historic inter-Korean summit in 2000.
Chung Mong-hun, head of Hyundai Asan and son of Hyundai''s late founder Chung Ju-young, was grilled about allegations that some of the $ 500 million his company sent to North Korea shortly before the summit was a payoff for the meeting.
The summit was a crowning achievement of former President Kim and helped him win the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize. Kim left office in February after a five-year tenure.
Last Saturday, prosecutors arrested a former head of the government-run Korea Development Bank on charges of causing damage to the bank by approving loans to Hyundai beyond the company''s credit limit.
As the investigation expanded, prosecutors detained Lee Ki-ho, President Kim''s former economic aide, on Wednesday. They planned to apply for an arrest warrant for Lee on charges of influencing the Korea Development Bank to give loans to Hyundai.
Local news media, citing unnamed sources, said prosecutors were questioning Chung whether he bribed Lee to get the loans and then doctored his company documents to secretly send the money to the North.
On Friday, Chung refused to answer questions from journalists, and only said he intended to "set the facts straight" with prosecutors.
The investigation began when opposition legislators alleged that some of the money Chungs company sent to North Korea was a government bribe to Pyongyang to agree to the summit between Kim and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Arkancide.
Where where both the bwitch AND x42 at the time?
What did they know?
When did they know it?
Head of S.Korea Hyundai Asan Commits Suicide, TV Reports
SEOUL (Reuters) - The head of South Korea's unlisted Hyundai Asan Co., the operator of a North Korea tour project, died Monday after having jumped from the 12th floor of the building where his company is housed, local television reported.
State-run KBS television reported Chung Mong-hun, chairman of the board at Hyundai Asan, jumped out of his office on the 12th floor of Hyundai Group building in central Seoul at around 5:40 a.m. (4:40 p.m. EDT Sunday).
Police and Hyundai officials were not immediately available.
This tid-bit was posted in FR a month or two ago. Did'nt think it would to his death (this way).
Hyundai Merchant Marine secretly funneled funds to North Korea
Hyundai's Deeper Involvement Revealed
South Korean president apologizes over cash transfer to North Korea
That's the way I see it.
Chronology of Hyundai's Major Projects in North Korea
Seoul, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- Following is a chronology of major events in Hyundai's North Korea projects:
Jan. 23, 1989 -- Hyundai Group founder and Honorary Chairman
Chung Ju-yung visits North Korea, and signs
a protocol on the joint development of the
North's Mount Geumgang as a tourist site
Feb. 14, 1998 -- Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-hun holds
the first business talks with North Korea in
Beijing
June 18, 1998 -- Honorary Chairman Chung visits North Korea,
brining 500 cattle
Sept. 7, 1998 -- The Unification Ministry approves Hyundai's
Mount Geumgang tourist project
Oct. 27, 1998 -- Honorary Chairman Chung visits North Korea,
bringing second batch of 501 cattle and 20
Hyundai-made passenger cars
Oct. 30, 1998 -- Honorary Chairman Chung meets with National
Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il
for the first time
November 1998 -- Cruise liner the Geumgang-ho has a maiden
voyage toward Mount Geumgang
February 1999 -- Hyundai Asan Corp. launches to handle
Hyundai's North Korea projects in general,
with Chung Mong-hun taking up the
chairman ship
October 1999 -- Honorary Chairman Chung meets with Kim Jong-il
to agree on the setup of an industrial complex
in the North Korean city of Kaesong
May 2000 -- Work to build Kosong Port for Mount Geumgang
tourists is completed
June 2000 -- Honorary Chairman Chung meets with Kim Jong-il
to agree on the designation of Mount Geumgang
as a special economic zone
Aug. 2000 -- Hyundai Asan Chairman Chung Mong-hun visits
North Korea to meet Kim Jong-il, bringing 500
cattle
March 2001 -- Hyundai founder Chung Ju-yung died
Sept. 2002 -- A ceremony to break the ground to link the
cross-frontier Seoul-Shinuiju Railway is held
Nov. 2002 -- North Korea announces a special law on the
Kaesong Industrial Complex
March 2003 -- A border-crossing overland tour to Mount
Geumgang begins
June 2003 -- A ceremony to reconnect the Seoul-Shinuiju
Railway is held
-- A ground-breaking ceremony to build the
Kaesong Industrial Complex is held
Aug. 4, 2003 -- Chairman Chung Mong-hun kills himself
(END)
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