EBS PD Arrested and Indicted for Inflating Program Outsourcing Costs to Pocket 300 Million Won

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] A PD affiliated with EBS was arrested for inflating production costs of broadcast programs, paying them to an external production company, and receiving over 300 million KRW.

According to the prosecution on the 28th, the Criminal Division 4 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Min-ah) recently arrested and indicted A (58) PD on fraud charges, while freelance PDs and subsidiary company PDs involved in the crime were indicted without detention as accomplices.

From June to December 2017, Mr. A is accused of falsely and excessively accounting for the production costs of outsourced videos and applying for them to the broadcasting company. He is also suspected of personally receiving money back from the external production company. Additionally, he is accused of colluding with freelance PD B (54) to submit false service contracts to the broadcasting company from April to December 2018 and receiving production costs through a nominee account. It was also investigated that he conspired with subsidiary company PD C (52) in a similar manner to falsely claim production costs from the broadcasting company. The amount of money Mr. A pocketed during this process is estimated to be about 380 million KRW.

The freelance PD accomplice is also reported to have attempted to destroy evidence by coordinating statements with Mr. A once the investigation began.

This investigation case by the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office was selected as one of the seven excellent criminal division work cases nationwide in November, announced by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.