Prosecutor general nominee vows ‘necessary action’ over conflict of interest controversy

Prosecutor General nominee Shim Woo-jung pledged Tuesday to take "necessary action" if needed in response to an alleged conflict of interest involving his brother's stint at Kakao Corp., which is currently under prosecution investigation for suspected stock manipulation. Shim's nomination last month has sparked speculation that his younger brother Woo-chan's current role on Kakao's control tower board could create a conflict of interest. The tech giant is currently under investigation by prosecutors on stock manipulation charges related to the firm's takeover of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment last year. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office earlier indicted Kakao founder Kim Beom-su, the corporate entity of Kakao and other executives as part of the investigation. The nominee's brother, a lawyer by profession, was appointed in May as a member of Kakao's corporate alignment consultative body, which serves as a control tower. During his parliamentary confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Shim said h e will "take necessary action if there are any grounds for problems related to the Kakao case." He stated that his brother is currently working in a department responsible for corporate audits, which has no connection to the case. The nominee also denied allegations that his acquaintance with first lady Kim Keon Hee's brother influenced his nomination as prosecutor general, saying, "I am a total stranger to him and I have never contacted him." Source: Yonhap News Agency