Exclusive
Kim Keon-hee’s 'Butler' Kim Ye-seong Dismissed as Auditor at Chemtech, Company Owned by DL Chairman’s Brother

[비즈한국] It has been confirmed that Kim Ye-seong, known as the "butler" of First Lady Kim Keon-hee, has been dismissed from his position as auditor at Chemtech. Kim Ye-seong was appointed as an auditor at Chemtech in March 2020 and served one consecutive term in 2023.

On July 28, BizHankook exclusively reported that Kim Ye-seong was serving as an auditor at Chemtech. Chemtech is a company where Lee Hae-chang, the younger brother of DL000210 Group Chairman Lee Hae-wook, is the largest shareholder (Related article: [Exclusive] ‘Kim Keon-hee’s Butler’ Kim Ye-seong Serving as Auditor at Chemtech, Company Owned by DL Chairman’s Brother).

It was confirmed that four days after the BizHankook report, on August 1, Chemtech dismissed Kim Ye-seong from his auditor position. A person named Park was appointed as his successor. This dismissal appears to reflect the intentions of Chemtech CEO Lee Hae-chang. Dismissing an auditor requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the shareholders present at a general meeting, representing at least one-third of the total issued shares. The Lee Hae-chang family owns 100% of Chemtech's shares.

According to the Civil Act, the duties of an auditor include: auditing the financial status of a corporation; auditing the execution of business by directors; reporting to the general meeting or the competent authority if any irregularities or deficiencies are discovered regarding the financial status or business execution; and convening a general meeting when necessary for reporting.

However, Kim Ye-seong is currently in a situation where it is difficult to focus on auditing duties. IMS Mobility, where Kim previously served as an executive, has been engulfed in allegations of receiving investment from large corporations as a quid pro quo. Since controversy has arisen regarding whether major companies invested in IMS Mobility with Kim Keon-hee and Kim Ye-seong in mind, Chemtech may also find its association with Kim to be a burden.

The Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel team (Special Counsel Min Joong-ki) announced in July that an arrest warrant had been issued for Kim Ye-seong. However, Kim is currently staying abroad and has not complied with prosecution summons. Those related to Kim, including his wife (identified as a person named Jung), First Lady Kim Keon-hee, and IMS Mobility CEO Cho Young-tak, have already been investigated by the special counsel.

BizHankook contacted Chemtech for comment on this matter but did not receive a response.