Hanmi Group has refuted media reports alleging that Chairwoman Song Young-sook and her family misused a corporate credit card, stating that the card was used for management and operational purposes. The company also announced plans for legal action against those responsible for what it claims are illegally obtained and distorted materials.
In a statement on July 31, Hanmi Group asserted that Song has been executing budgets for management and operational tasks both during and after her tenure as CEO. The company contended that the data used in the reports is incomplete, lacking information on cost reimbursements and payment cancellations.
On the same day, a media outlet reported that Song's family and her secretariat spent millions of won at department stores in 2023 and incurred 30 million won in treatment costs at an anti-aging clinic.
Hanmi Group clarified that the luxury purchases attributed to Song were actually expenses for holiday gifts for employees and key clients, while the medical expenses were legitimate support under the company's welfare program. The company also disputed claims regarding overseas expenditures, stating these were business travel costs for managing stakeholders and conducting market research.
Regarding allegations that Song's family holds numerous golf memberships, the company stated that there have been no instances of personal use of these memberships by her family.
The company expressed concern, stating, "We believe that some data has been unlawfully extracted from our system without following proper procedures. It is regrettable that certain factions appear to have a specific agenda to attack the founder and family of Hanmi Group by providing such materials to the media."
Hanmi Group noted that amid disagreements among major shareholders, unverified materials are being circulated to defame a specific shareholder, and it called for fact-based reporting. Furthermore, the company reiterated that there were no tax assessments related to the personal use of Song's corporate card during the tax investigations conducted by the National Tax Service last year and the year before regarding Hanmi Science and Hanmi Pharmaceutical.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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