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November 28, 2009
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| Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday it has gained substantial evidence that Shin Dong-wook, husband of Park Geun-ryeong, made dozens of Web postings containing fallacious and libelous information on Geun-hye, Park’s older sister and former Grand National Party leader. The Parks are daughters of the late former President Park Chung Hee, who was assassinated in 1979. The prosecutors’ office said it plans to decide whether to indict Shin after investigating him and three other Internet users under the same charge. Geun-ryeong is the former head of the Korean Children’s Center, a private foundation in eastern Seoul. The unexpected finding came after Geun-hye filed a libel lawsuit against some 10 people who repeatedly wrote on her home page between February and May that she stole the foundation from her younger sister and attempted to kidnap Shin in China. Shin borrowed other people’s personal identity to register with the home page provider to leave the Web postings, according to Seocho police station, which investigated the case. The foundation was established in 1969 by Parks’ late mother, with the purpose of promoting child welfare. Geun-ryeong took over at the helm of the foundation in 1990 from Geun-hye, but was forced to step down in 2004 after corruption scandals broke. Although Geun-ryeong raised a suit against the foundation, the Supreme Court ruled in May this year that the foundation was justified in laying off Geun-ryeong. The foundation has been losing billions of won (millions of dollars) per year over the past decades largely due to ceaseless irregularities originating from conflict among board members, according to people familiar with the situation. By Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr] JoongAng daily Hot issue
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