Former Governor Charged in Alleged Alpenesia Resort Bid Rigging Scandal

The prosecution has confirmed that Choi Moon-soon, the former governor of Gangwon Province, has been indicted in connection with the alleged bid-rigging scandal involving the Alpensia Resort, a key focus of the investigation into KH Group Chairman Bae Sang-yoon. According to reports, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office's Serious Crimes Investigation Division, led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Bo-seong, filed charges against Choi on May 30 for obstructing the bidding process and violating anti-corruption laws. Choi is accused of providing unpublished information, including bid prices, to KH Group through a Gangwon Development Corporation employee, identified as Shin. Both Shin and a KH Group official, Kim, have also been indicted alongside Choi.

The Alpensia Resort was constructed at a cost of 1.6 trillion won for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. However, following the Olympics, the resort faced financial difficulties, leading to its public sale in October 2020. After four failed attempts, KH Gangwon Development, a subsidiary of KH Group, purchased the resort for 711.5 billion won in February 2022. It has been reported that only KH Group affiliates participated in the bidding, raising suspicions of collusion. Prosecutors believe that KH Group received advance information from Gangwon Province, allowing them to repeatedly lower the bid price and gain approximately 20 billion won in profit.

In July 2023, Choi stated upon his arrival at the prosecutor's office that he had worked diligently for the sale of Alpensia, asserting that he only negotiated with KH Group due to the challenges of the sale and did not intend to provide unfair advantages. Choi's first trial is scheduled for July 16 at the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Chun-geun.

Meanwhile, the prosecution plans to continue its investigation into Chairman Bae, who has been evading authorities abroad for three years, as soon as he returns to South Korea.