Former Seoul Transportation Officials Arrested for Bribery in Subway Ventilation Contract

On May 20, 2025, former officials of the Seoul Transportation Corporation were arrested on charges of accepting bribes exceeding 100 million KRW during the selection process for a subway ventilation filter supplier. Judge Park Jong-ho of the Seoul Central District Court conducted a warrant review the previous day for former head of the Technical Division, A, and manager B, who are accused under the Specific Economic Crimes Aggravated Punishment Act. The judge stated that there was a risk of evidence destruction and flight, leading to the issuance of arrest warrants. Additionally, a company representative, identified as Kim, was also arrested for allegedly providing the bribes.

A and B are accused of favoring a newly established company with only four employees, awarding them a contract worth 2.2 billion KRW despite the company proposing a project cost more than double that of competitors. The investigation by the Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency revealed that A and B received approximately 200 million KRW, or 10% of the contract value, as a bribe for facilitating the contract.