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| HDC Group Chairman Chung Mong-gyu apologizes for a Gwangju apartment building collapse, during a press conference at the company's headquarters in Seoul in this January file photo. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho |
By Park Jae-hyuk
HDC Group Chairman Chung Mong-gyu is at risk of being forced to appear at the National Assembly audit as a witness later this month, despite his attempts to avoid being questioned by lawmakers about his company's responsibilities in a series of fatal building collapses in the southwestern city of Gwangju.
Earlier this year, a collapse at an HDC Hyundai Development Company apartment building construction site killed six workers. Another collapse of a building during demolition in a housing redevelopment district last year killed nine people, all of whom were passengers on a bus crushed by the collapsed building.
The HDC Group chairman was initially supposed to appear for the National Policy Committee's audit of the Fair Trade Commission last Friday, but, he refused to show up, citing an overseas trip he needed to go on as the Korea Football Association chairman to host the AFC Asian Cup in Korea next year.
Rep. Kim Hee-gon of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) criticized Chung for not appearing despite the National Assembly's summons.
Rep. Kang Byung-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said he wants to ask Chung whether he thinks football is more important than taking follow-up measures against the accidents.
Rep. Back Hye-ryun of the DPK, who chairs the committee, urged Chung to appear for questioning at the comprehensive audit of non-financial sectors later this month.
"If he declines to appear once again, the committee's executive secretaries will consider ordering him to appear," Back said.
Lawmakers of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee are also considering summoning the HDC Group chairman as a witness, because HDC Hyundai Development Company Chief Safety Officer (CSO) Jung Ik-hee, who attended the committee's audit of the land ministry last Thursday on behalf of the chairman, enraged the lawmakers by offering answers they viewed as insufficient.
The CSO reiterated that he is not aware of his company's countermeasures against January's accident, as he was appointed in February.
Rep. Kim Min-ki of the DPK, who chairs the committee, recommended the executive secretaries to agree to summon the HDC Group chairman, who has the authority to compensate buyers of the collapsed apartment complex.
Land Minister Won Hee-ryong also said during the audit that the construction firm faces bankruptcy unless it shows its efforts to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents.
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