Ruling on Hyundai chairman challenged

South Korean prosecutors filed an appeal with the Supreme Court yesterday over one aspect of an appeals court ruling last week in the case of convicted Hyundai Motor Co Chairman Chung Mong-koo, but they did not contest the key part of the decision that keeps him out of prison.

Prosecutors said they took issue with the provision of the Seoul High Court ruling last week that ordered Chung to do public service in the form of delivering lectures to business groups on lawful management and writing newspaper and magazine contributions on the subject.

That part of the decision "is beyond the boundary of community service stipulated in our laws," said Kim Kyung-soo, a spokesman for the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office.