Police currently investigating National Agricultural Cooperative Federation President Kang Ho-dong on bribery allegations have searched former National Agricultural Cooperative Federation executives and a labor union chairperson.
According to ChosunBiz reporting compiled on the 24th, police last month seized and searched the mobile phone of former National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Vice President A and the home and office of former labor union Chairperson B.
Kang ran for National Agricultural Cooperative Federation president at the end of 2023, when he was considered the front-runner, and is suspected of receiving a 100 million won bribe twice from the head of a service contractor that has a transaction relationship with a National Agricultural Cooperative Federation affiliate. Police are said to have conducted the search after identifying indications that former Vice President A connected Kang with the service contractor's head. Former Chairperson B also became a target of the search on suspicion of involvement in Kang's bribery.
Police have been currently investigating Kang's bribery allegations for about half a year since Oct. last year. If the allegations are sufficiently substantiated through people around him, they plan to ultimately summon Kang for questioning.
NongHyup faces other corruption allegations besides Kang's case. Prosecutors in Oct. last year indicted National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Vice President Ji Joon-seop without detention on charges of involvement in an illegal loan worth about 10 billion won. Ji was also was found to have received a personnel solicitation from Seo Young Holdings Chairman Han Sang-kwon, who received the illegal loan.