[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] Rhee Chang-yong, former governor of the Bank of Korea, is facing criticism after it was revealed that he made repeated political donations to lawmakers overseeing the central bank during his four-year tenure.

According to sources on May 27, Rhee donated KRW 100,000 per lawmaker annually to members of the National Assembly’s finance-related committee around October, when parliamentary audits typically take place. The contributions continued throughout his term from 2022 to 2025, totaling several million won each year.

The donations are drawing scrutiny due to the direct oversight role of these lawmakers, raising concerns over central bank independence and potential conflicts of interest. Critics argue that supporting a broad group of both ruling and opposition lawmakers could be perceived as an attempt to influence or “manage” the committee.

Some experts also pointed to possible violations of internal ethics rules, which prohibit providing financial benefits to officials with direct work-related authority. Legal observers noted that if any quid pro quo were established, the matter could potentially be subject to bribery laws.

Rhee defended the donations as personal contributions, stating that he has long supported lawmakers he considered capable and that the funds were made with personal money without political intent.

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]