Police searched the office of National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Chairman Kang Ho-dong on the 15th. Kang is under suspicion of receiving money and valuables.
Kang was elected in the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation chairman election held in January last year. Police are said to believe that around the end of 2023, when Kang ran for National Agricultural Cooperative Federation chairman and was favored to win, he received cash totaling a little over 100 million won on two occasions from A, the head of a service contractor that has a transaction relationship with a National Agricultural Cooperative Federation affiliate. A reportedly offered the cash while asking for favors regarding a service contract.
In connection with this, police are said to have cited bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes in the search-and-seizure warrant. Police plan to summon Kang for questioning after analyzing the materials seized that day. Earlier, police questioned a reference witness in Jul.
Meanwhile, in Jul., National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Vice Chairman Ji Jun-seop was subject to a search and seizure by prosecutors. Ji was suspected of the Seoyoung Group obtaining an illegal loan from NongHyup in the range of 3 billion to 4 billion won. At the time, prosecutors secured related materials from computers and other devices, then summoned Ji and related employees for questioning.
The National Agricultural Cooperative Federation chairman is a non-full-time position with a four-year term. It is a highly influential post representing more than 2 million NongHyup union members. This election was held as a direct vote in which all 1,111 cooperative heads participated for the first time in 17 years since 2007.