Prosecutors in Seoul have dropped corruption charges against Myung-whun Chung, former music director of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO). Chung had been accused of embezzling KRW50,000 (€38,000) during his 2005-2015 tenure.
He was originally charged with spending government money on his family and on unwarranted travel expenses. However, after a 10-month investigation prosecutors failed to find evidence to support the charges.
“It’s with regret that the honour and achievements of the SPO have been damaged by groundless allegations,” said Chung in a statement.
The conductor was forced to leave the orchestra in 2015 as a result of the scandal. He has always maintained that the charges were politically motivated.
Chung – whose sister is internationally renowned violinist Kyung Wha Chung – is principal guest conductor at Staatskapelle Dresden and honorary conductor laureate for Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.