Former CEO of Robot Dog Company Appears Before Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor Over Alleged Vacheron Constantin Watch Bribery

[Financial News] The Kim Keon Hee special prosecutor team, led by Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki, summoned the former CEO of a robot dog company for questioning over allegations that a Vacheron Constantin watch was delivered to Kim Keon Hee through businessman Seo Seongbin.
Gong Mo, the former CEO of Ghost Robotics, an importer of robot dogs, appeared at the special prosecutor’s office located at KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at 10 a.m. on the 1st for questioning. Gong entered the building while avoiding the press.
The special prosecutor suspects that Gong, through Seo, gifted a Vacheron Constantin watch worth approximately 50 million won to Kim Keon Hee and subsequently secured a private contract for robot dogs with the PSS. The watch was allegedly delivered around September 2022, when the PSS signed a private contract with Drone Dome. Seo, the CEO of Drone Dome, acted as the general distributor for the robot dogs, while Ghost Robotics was the actual importer and supplier, according to the special prosecutor’s findings.
The special prosecutor is expected to question Gong about whether he delivered the watch to Kim Keon Hee through Seo and whether he lobbied for the private contract.
In addition, the special prosecutor is currently questioning Senior Officer Kim from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), who is under arrest.
Senior Officer Kim was in charge of road policy at MOLIT at the time of the Yangpyeong Expressway terminus change allegations. It was reported that bundles of cash found during a search and seizure on July 15 were related to the case. The special prosecutor believes that Senior Officer Kim received bribes, including 36 million won in cash, from certain companies and has requested an arrest warrant. Kim is also suspected of proposing and intervening in route changes to Donghae Engineering & Consultants and Kyong Dong Engineering, which were service providers for the Yangpyeong Expressway project in 2023.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter