Park plots return to Doosan, IOC

Park Yong-sung

Park Yong-sung, the beleaguered former business executive who has recently received special presidential amnesty, has told the JoongAng Ilbo that he is eyeing a comeback in July.
Mr. Park served as chairman of Doosan Group in 2005 before being sentenced in February last year to a suspended term for raising slush funds and inflating the group’s financial records.
He also had his duties as an International Olympic Committee member suspended.
With the presidential pardon from last Friday, Mr. Park was able to join Korean officials in Gangwon province during the IOC Evaluation Commission’s inspection this week of Pyeongchang’s bid for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. He has also asked the IOC to reinstate his membership on the committee.
He sat down with the JoongAng Ilbo Thursday night.
“I plan to put my name on the list of candidates for a Doosan Heavy Industries’ board member at shareholders’ meeting next month,” he said.
When asked if that meant he would return as chief executive, Mr. Park said that for now, he would focus on helping Pyeongchang win the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The host city for the 2014 Winter Games will be announced on July 4, and Mr. Park said he would “return to my career as a business executive” after that.
Because he remains suspended by the IOC, Mr. Park stayed in the background during the IOC evaluation this week. But that has not prevented him from supporting Pyeongchang’s efforts.
“After the Lunar New Year weekend, I plan to travel around the world and use my old ties to help Pyeongchang’s bid,” Mr. Park said.
“In the meantime, I’ve told executives at Doosan to e-mail me whenever something comes up on the business front.”
As for his pardon, which came after about a year of his three-year suspended term, Mr. Park said he did not expect to receive the amnesty so quickly.
Mr. Park twice served as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a business lobby, and was known for his scathing criticism of government policies.

By Kwon Hyuk-joo JoongAng Ilbo [jeeho@joongang.co.kr]