 |
Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Seoul, June 9 – Koo Bon-neung, Chairman of Heesung Group and younger brother of the late LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, along with LG President Ha Beom-jong, has been cleared of criminal charges related to allegations of tampering with the late chairman’s personal safe and will.
The Seoul Mapo Police Station announced that it has concluded a “no charges” decision against the two on counts of special theft, property damage, and perjury. In September 2023, Koo’s widow Kim Young-sik and daughter Koo Yeon-kyung, head of the LG Welfare Foundation, filed a criminal complaint, alleging that the two unlawfully opened safes located at the deceased’s villa in Gwangju and office in Yeouido, Seoul, and damaged the will, subsequently misrepresenting its contents.
However, the police concluded that family members had been informed of the safes being opened and that there was no evidence of coercive entry or demands for item returns, making it difficult to establish theft. The safes were also found to have been opened without damage, and no hazardous tools were used, ruling out property damage.
In a separate inheritance-related civil lawsuit in October 2023, Ha testified that the late Chairman Koo had expressed his intent to pass on ‘management assets’ to current LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. The police determined that Ha’s testimony could not be classified as false, and prosecutors upheld the police's findings after reviewing an appeal submitted by the complainants.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
