(C) APEC CEO SUMMIT KOREA 2025

SEOUL — The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has announced a rigorous special audit into the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) following a series of allegations involving financial irregularities and "reckless" budget spending during the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit.

According to government and industry sources on January 5, the Ministry will begin its investigation on January 8 to scrutinize the legality and appropriateness of the summit’s fund management. The audit was triggered by internal whistleblowing regarding an attempted kickback by a high-ranking official within the summit’s task force.

Kickback Allegations and Inflated Contracts
The controversy began when a team leader-level official allegedly requested a local hotel to overcharge for services—billing 48.5 million KRW instead of the actual 45 million KRW—and instructed that the 3.5 million KRW difference be transferred to a personal bank account. Although the transaction was not completed, the KCCI has placed the individual on administrative leave and launched an internal investigation.

However, the probe has since expanded into a much larger scandal involving a staggering spike in event costs. A contracted agency, which initially signed a deal for 2.85 billion KRW, reportedly billed over 12 billion KRW—more than four times the original amount—after the event concluded. While the final settlement was adjusted to approximately 10 billion KRW, the Ministry is investigating whether there was collusion or a deliberate "sweetheart deal" between the KCCI and the agency.

The "Cruise Ship" Controversy and Budget Waste
Further evidence of poor planning has emerged regarding the logistics of the summit. In anticipation of a room shortage, the KCCI chartered two large cruise ships. However, reports indicate that only about 40 CEOs actually stayed on the vessels, leaving them to be used primarily as high-end staff quarters.

Additionally, due to a massive failure in demand forecasting, the KCCI is reportedly facing nearly 3 billion KRW in "Minimum Revenue Guarantee" (cancellation fees) to various hotels.

KCCI Response and Labor Union Outcry
The KCCI labor union released a statement calling the situation a "betrayal of the trust of member companies and the public," demanding a complete overhaul of the task force and a thorough personnel shake-up.

In response, a spokesperson for the KCCI stated, "The rebate allegation was an isolated incident that we were already investigating internally. The increase in the budget and the accommodation issues were unavoidable variables caused by the fluctuating scale of international delegations and the unique nature of such a high-profile global event."

The Ministry’s audit is expected to focus on whether the KCCI followed proper bidding procedures and if there were systemic failures in oversight that allowed the budget to balloon without adequate justification.

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