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| DB Group former Chairman Kim Jun-ki |
DB Group has gone all out to rebuild its corporate image and market status over the past two years since its founder, former Chairman Kim Jun-ki, resigned in 2017 and fled the country after his secretary accused him of sexual harassment two years ago.
The group seemed to be finally back on track with memory of the scandal fading, but more allegations against the 74-year-old former chairman have surfaced, this time regarding a sexual assault on a "housemaid."
It changed its name from Dongbu Group in October 2017 in a bid to clean up the group's image after it carried out large-scale restructuring.
DB's efforts, however, faced a snag as a series of scandals involving the former chairman surfaced.
DB used to be one of the 10 largest conglomerates in Korea, but was forced below the top 30 firms as of the end of 2017.
According to Suseo Police Station, the housemaid, who used to work at Kim's mansion in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, pressed charges against Kim in January last year for allegedly raping her twice.
The maid told police that Kim raped her twice after watching porn movies while she was working there. She worked at the mansion for about a year from 2016. She added that she even recorded the situation.
However, Kim denied the allegations before he fled the country in September 2017, claiming it was "consensual sex."
Kim even alleged he gave her settlement money but the maid wanted more.
Police summoned Kim three times in October and November 2017, but he ignored the summons, saying he needed to stay in the U.S. for medical treatments.
Kim's visa expired in January last year, but he has yet to return to Korea.
Police have asked Interpol for assistance with their investigation of Kim in an effort to bring him back to Korea. They also requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invalidate Kim's passport, which the ministry accepted.
"One of the major pillars in DB Group's businesses is insurance. Customer trust is essential in the business," said a domestic life insurance company official who asked not to be named.
"This will jeopardize the insurer's sales to a certain degree. This will also drag on the group's efforts to expand its market presence."
According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), DB Insurance accounted for about 90 percent of the group's entire sales last year.
Eldest son and DB Insurance Vice President Kim Nam-ho is the insurer's largest shareholder with an 8.3 percent stake. Kim is DB Insurance's second-largest shareholder with a 6.65 percent stake.
