[Anchor]
A "Hanbok Model Selection Contest," which claims to promote the globalization of Hanbok, recently became embroiled in illegal rebate allegations. According to SBS reporting, the family of the association head who hosted the contest, as well as a corporation represented by that family member, were found to be involved.
Reporter Kwon Min-kyu has this exclusive report.
[Reporter]
This is footage from the Korea Hanbok Model Selection Contest, which has seen hundreds of participants every year since 2016.
With the aim of promoting Hanbok culture worldwide, the contest introduces special benefits for participants, such as official invitations to overseas Hanbok events.
[Jeong Mo-si / Head of the Organizing Association: Providing various benefits, including overseas fashion shows and domestic fashion shows, about 30 times a year...]
However, complaints regarding various forms of corruption related to this contest have been filed with the police and the National Tax Service.
The allegations point to an illegal rebate structure in which the association hosting the contest forces participants to rent clothes only from specific Hanbok shops, and those shops return a portion of the rental fees.
According to KakaoTalk chat logs secured by SBS, every time regional preliminaries and the finals ended, the organizers demanded the Hanbok shops "deposit 40% of the Hanbok rental fees."
SBS reporting confirmed that the rebate amounts were deposited into the account of a non-profit corporation registered with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which is run by the younger sister of the association head.
[Hanbok Shop Owner (Operating a Designated Store): They tell us to submit a list of everyone who came to the store and rented clothes. They sum that up and tell us to wire the money right away...]
Controversy has also emerged over nepotistic management, as Jeong's younger sister, who heads the non-profit corporation, directly ran one of the designated Hanbok rental shops.
[Hanbok Shop Owner (Operating a Designated Store): It is a family business. It makes you realize they are doing this for money and their own profit, rather than for cultural business...]
Claims also emerged that when participants rented from Hanbok shops other than the designated ones, they were forced to change into free Hanbok provided by the association, and that the quality of those garments was terrible.
[Contest Participant: There is too much of a difference. You have no choice but to wear the paid Hanbok. (The free Hanbok) consisted of worn-out, tattered clothes, as if you were picking them out at a flea market...]
The police have booked Jeong on charges of breach of trust through acceptance of bribes and launched an investigation.
Meeting with SBS reporting staff, Jeong stated, "It was a practice for shop owners to voluntarily contribute money to be used as association activity funds," adding, "We will correct what needs to be fixed and cooperate with the investigative agency's probe."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video footage: Yang Hyun-chul, Yoon Hyung | Video editing: Lee Sang-min | Design: Park Tae-young)
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