The national tax agency on Tuesday rushed into LG Chem to seize account books and related documents, sources said.
About 30-40 officials from the National Tax Services entered the building at around 10:30, but was met by a barricade of guards trying to stop them moving up to the finance team on the 20th floor.
Public relations officials from LG downplayed rumors about the firm’s possible embezzlement, saying the visit was part of the tax agency’s random visits on local conglomerates. The NTS declined to comment.
“One of the NTS officials were sneering at LG employees, saying if the elevators were purchased with the government tax,” an LG employee who witnessed the scene told The Korea Herald.
The scuffle lasted for less than three hours, with the NTS officials threatening the guards and LG officials to step aside.
Witnesses said the guards are still watching the elevators for a possible intrusion.
The latest raid comes in about four years after the tax agency launched a regular tax investigation on LG Chem in July 2010. Whether Tuesday’s visit was part of a periodic inspection or a raid over possible irregularities is yet unknown.
By Suk Gee-hyun (
monicasuk@heraldcorp.com)