Seoul tycoon at centre of assault scandal

SOUTH KOREA:It's a story that has scandalised South Korea, a tale that reads like something from The Sopranosor Goodfellasrather than the upper echelons of Seoul society.

Kim Dong-won, a 22-year-old university student, was out for a night of karaoke when he got into a fight with bouncers at a Seoul nightclub and was left needing 13 stitches in his forehead.

The next night Mr Kim's father, Kim Seung Youn, chairman of Hanwha and one of South Korea's 10 richest men, allegedly rounded up a group of heavies, including some known mobsters, and headed downtown seeking revenge.

Mr Kim snr is accused of kidnapping a group of the club's bouncers and bar staff and taking them to a building site outside the city, where they were assaulted.

Mr Kim snr allegedly beat up two of the men with a stun gun and steel pipe, and watched as his son, a Yale student, took revenge on his assailants.

Calls for an inquiry into the case came from everywhere - from President Roh Moo-hyun to salaried office workers - and there are signs that the scandal could be wider than initially thought.

Seoul's police chief resigned at the weekend amid suspicions that the police may have intentionally shelved the investigation. It took them a month to begin an inquiry into the incident, which happened on March 8th. Investigators said yesterday they would continue their inquiry for another 10 days.

Mr Kim snr faces charges of assault, abduction and confinement, as do 23 other men, including his chief bodyguard.

Mr Kim snr and his son initially denied involvement, arguing that they never made a trip to the building site or used violence. But as public criticism mounted and mobile phone records tied them to the scene, Mr Kim snr later admitted the charges. "I hope there will never be a foolish father like me again," said Mr Kim snr (55) shortly before his arrest on May 12th.

His son has not been arrested.

The case has sparked a debate in South Korea over the power of the chaebol, or "rich clans". The largest chaebol are household names, such as Hyundai and Samsung, and they control every aspect of life in South Korea.

The heads of South Korean conglomerates have been jailed in the past for bribery and fraudulent accounting, but assault charges are a new development.

A Hanwha spokesman described the incident as "the chairman's personal problem".

"But we are worried that it is hurting the brand image of our group," he added.