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SK Group executive grilled over scandal-ridden foundations

Oct. 31, 2016 - 20:24 By Park Ga-young

An executive of South Korea's major conglomerate SK Group was questioned by prosecutors Monday over allegations the group was unlawfully pressured to donate to two nonprofit foundations, linked to a controversial figure with close ties to President Park Geun-hye.

The prosecution said it called in the executive, identified only by his surname Park, to question him over the Mir Foundation and the K-Sports Foundation.

South Korea's big businesses, such as Samsung and Hyundai, are said to have donated some 80 billion won ($70 million) in total for the two foundations.

There have been allegations that a portion of the money was funneled to Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of a political scandal that is rocking the country.

SK Group is known to have declined a proposal that asked the group to donate some 8 billion won.

Prosecutors here have been summoning a number of officials from the country's leading conglomerates to investigate the details of the allegations raised. Earlier on Sunday, they grilled So Jin-sei, executive of retail giant Lotte, over similar suspicions. (Yonhap)