“Spent 8 million won at a bakery, 20 million won at a wine bar” ... Kangwon Land employees splurge on corporate cards over the weekend

[Financial News] Kangwon Land CEO Kim Do-gyun said, “We are currently conducting a full-scale investigation across the company. We will take stringent follow-up action based on the results,” in connection with employees’ high-value and split payments and their use of corporate cards at bars.
Kim made the remarks on the morning of the 19th during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee at the Korea Gas Corporation’s Daegu headquarters. He was responding to People Power Party lawmaker Choi Su-jin’s question about improper employee use of corporate cards and what action would be taken.
Choi pointed out that Kangwon Land employees made 3,593 corporate-card transactions totaling 933.86 million won on weekends and public holidays from 2022 through August this year. Last December, they spent 8.18 million won in a single day, including separate payments of 4.85 million won and 3.33 million won at a bakery. From August last year through August this year, they made 195 payments totaling 21.65 million won at wine bars, izakayas and other venues, according to the findings.
There were other cases as well: 9.8 million won was charged at a butcher shop in December 2024, and 6 million won was spent at a fruit shop in November of the same year.
Choi said, “When I asked why they used corporate cards, the explanation came back in a single line: ‘for meal purposes.’ They use corporate cards on weekends, provide just one self-explanation, and face neither recovery of the funds nor disciplinary action. Does that make any sense?”
At the audit that day, the People Power Party also raised concerns about Kangwon Land executives engaging in political activities over Chuseok while retaining their Democratic Party membership.
Committee member Seo Ji-young presented photographic evidence and criticized the CEO, saying, “(Kim) attended a Chuseok event on September 24 with the Democratic Party’s Sokcho-Inje-Goseong-Yangyang Regional Committee.” She added, “It’s a place that doesn’t even have a coal-mining area.”
Regarding Kangwon Land Vice President Yoo Jeong-bae, she said, “On September 23, he visited a traditional market with members of the Democratic Party’s Chuncheon-Cheorwon-Hwacheon-Yanggu Regional Committee, in what used to be his constituency. It looks like he’s campaigning,” and asked, “Isn’t that political activity?”
She also directed remarks at the two executives, including “someone unqualified” and “Are you going to run in the next general election?”
Kim responded, “I don’t think this is something to answer here.”
[email protected] An Ga-eul Reporter