‘Samsung worker accused of shadowing CJ chairman’

CJ Group has claimed that a Samsung employee has been following its chairman around, demanding an apology from Samsung.

Samsung declined to comment until the police conclude an investigation.

CJ officials said Thursday that CEO Lee Jay-hyun’s guards caught a 42-year-old worker of Samsung C&T Corp., who they claim had been tailing the CEO for about a week, in front of his house in central Seoul at around 7:40 p.m. Tuesday.

“Lee’s driver first noticed on Feb. 16 that a rental car was following them. The guards examined surveillance camera recordings around the house, and confirmed his suspicion. They also confirmed the person changed the car with another rental probably not to get noticed,” an official of the group’s public relations team said.

In a plan contrived with the guards, the driver departed from the home at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. As expected the rental car followed and it was cornered in a small alley while other cars driven by guards blocked the way. As he was trying to escape, the stalker’s car hit one of the guards lightly. He was caught at the scene.

During police questioning, it was found the stalker was a Samsung C&T worker, surnamed Kim.

CJ filed a complaint with the police against Kim for interfering with business.

The group suspects Kim didn’t do so on his own but that Samsung Group was involved. “It is very regretful. No one would be able to understand that Samsung, one of the world’s top companies, does such a thing,” the group said in a statement.

As to the reason for the stalking, the group suspects it may be related to the recent inheritance suit filed by Lee’s father, Maeng-hee, against his brother and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

In the suit, the first son of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull demanded his younger brother return massive amount of stocks he claimed the chairman secretly incorporated into his assets.

“There’s no reason for a Samsung C&T worker to shadow the CJ chief on his own,” the CJ official said, implying that they believe Samsung Group is behind it all.

Regarding the incident, Samsung Group said it is Samsung C&T’s business, not the entire firm.

“Samsung Group’s involvement is only a claim by CJ. As the company filed a complaint, the police investigation will uncover the truth about the shadowing,” an official of Samsung’s communications team said.

Samsung C&T also flatly denied the allegation of stalking. It said the worker went to the village several times because of a reconstruction project near the CJ chief’s home and only had an accident with the CEO’s car, adding there was no other purpose for his visits there.

Previously the CJ chief and Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee had an argument back in 1994 when the CJ division was separated from Samsung Group.

It was alleged that surveillance cameras at the Samsung chairman’s house were installed in the direction of the front gate of the CJ head’s home which was next door, so that Samsung could spy on who was visiting Jay-hyun’s home. <Korea Times/Kim Rahn>