It is not rare for our public officials and executives of commercial firms to use their corporate cards for wrong purposes. Yet the case of the former CEO of Arirang TV-Radio channel leaves us speechless.
Bang Suk-ho stepped down as CEO of the nation’s sole English-language channel after a series of allegations that he misappropriated company funds during overseas trips.
Bang visited New York in September last year, leading a team of Arirang staff who were assigned to broadcast President Park Geun-hye’s address at the U.N. General Assembly.
According to news reports, he used corporate cards at posh restaurants, listing Korean government officials working at the Korea Overseas Information Service and the representative to the U.N as his companions.
In one case, he charged $930 to the corporate card at a caviar restaurant and put the names of two government officials in the expense report upon his return home. Both denied having dinner with him.
Bang’s card slips also show that one day before Park made the U.N. address — when the Arirang staff were busily preparing for the broadcast — he visited an outlet in the suburbs of New York. The slips also had the name of a Korean official, who again denied accompanying him.
Then there was irrefutable evidence that Bang’s family — wife and daughter — was staying in New York at the same time. His daughter posted three photos with him, depicting them as a “family trip for Chuseok.” Bang said both of them came to New York separately.
Before tendering his resignation, Bang insisted that there were some mistakes in handling the card slips and expense reports on the part of the relevant staff. He also claimed that he used corporate cards for business purposes.
But Bang seems to have a habit of using corporate cards for personal matters. In May last year, he made a business trip to New York, which is suspected of having been arranged in time for the graduation of his son from Duke University in North Carolina.
At a restaurant near the university, Bang charged $1,035 to a corporate card for meals he bought his son and friends. He admitted this and said he would reimburse the money.
This raises the possibility that Bang, who himself earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. at Duke, arranged his trip, all paid for by his company, to celebrate his son’s graduation. This man, who taught law at college, did not have a minimum level of integrity.
Arirang, run by public funds, is losing billions of won every year, which is why its staff are the least well-paid in the broadcasting industry, although they are highly qualified and working hard. Their chief spent company money as if he were CEO of a very profitable company, and worse still, as if it were his personal money.
Bang should first offer sincere apologies to all the Arirang employees. Whether he does that or not, however, should not matter in meting out due punishment, which will be determined by the ongoing special audit by the Culture Ministry.
