MOFAT Diamond scandal

The MOFAT Diamond Scandal was exposed around early January 2012, in which the ambassador of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kim Eun-seok, leaked an information on his illegal purchase of stocks of a mining firm called CNK International by falsifying information of a diamond reserve in Cameroon.[1][2] This incident generated criticisms against the Lee Myung-bak government. The scope of the investigation later spread to other senior South Korean public officials.[3]

Allegations

Foreign Minister, Kim Sung-hwan, had denied any cover-up of this incident.[4][5] The former vice-minister of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and a close aide to the South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Park Young-joon, was alleged in the involvement of the stock manipulation incident with Kim Eun-seok; later Park denies any allegation.[6]

Events
  • The SPO raided the office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on January 30; the first time in MOFAT's history to get raided by the national prosecutors' organization.[7]
  • The opposition Democratic United Party and the ruling Grand National Party under Park Geun-hye proposed to investigate this incident under the National Assembly conventions.[8]

See also

References
  1. Park, Si-soo (2012-01-18). "Cameroon diamond scandal snowballing". Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  2. Kim, Yoon-mi (2012-01-26). "Auditors demand sacking of energy envoy". Korean Herald. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  3. Song, Sang-ho (2012-01-18). "Diplomat's stock scandal spreads to other agencies". Korean Herald. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  4. "FM parries attack over stock manipulation scandal". Yonhap News. 2012-01-27. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  5. "FM parries attack over stock manipulation scandal". Korea Times. 2012-01-27. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  6. Park, Si-soo (2012-01-27). "Lee's aide denies role in diamond scandal". Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  7. Lee, Hyo-sik (2012-01-30). "Foreign ministry raided over diamond". Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  8. Park, Si-soo (2012-01-19). "Opposition seeks House probe into diamond scandal". Korea Times. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
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