An executive of Samsung Electronics, who entered the National Assembly hall with a press card, stepped down to take responsibility for causing a stir.
In a statement titled "We apologize again," Samsung Electronics said on Oct. 8, "We sincerely apologize once again for a Samsung Electronics executive entering the National Assembly in an inappropriate manner. We are also thoroughly probing whether there are more cases of violating parliamentary procedures."
Rep. Ryu Ho-jung of the Justice Party earlier said, "After we applied for a Samsung Electronics vice president for the parliamentary inspection as a witness, many officials from Samsung Electronics visited the lawmaker's office. We found out a Samsung executive came in with a press pass from a media company."
The executive is known to be a former member of the ruling Saenuri Party (currently the People Power Party) and is in charge of the business related to government agencies.
Justice Party leader Sim Sang-jung also said in a press conference, "It is deplorable that the National Assembly, a first-class national security facility, was violated by Samsung Electronics.”
She said, “It should be probed whether it was organized by Samsung Electronics to lobby through the National Assembly's security network by creating a ghost media company.”