The Seoul District Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday charged six news media entities, 12 top executives and a tax official, including three media owners, on charges of tax evasion or embezzlement.
The indictment concluded the prosecution's 68-day probe into allegations of tax and financial irregularities within the media, as disclosed by the National Tax Service's audit.
Chosun Ilbo President Bang Sang-hoon was accused of evading $4.92 million dollars in taxes and embezzling 4.5 billion won from the company coffers.
The Dong-A's ex-honorary chairman Kim Byung-gwan and Kookmin Il-bo chairman Cho Hee-jun were charged with evading taxes of 4.3 billion won and 2.5 billion won respectively and misappropriating funds of 1.8 billion won and 700 million won.
10 other suspects, including former Dong-A Vice-President Kim Byung-kun and former Chief of Korea Daily News' business support division Yi Tae-su, were charged without detention.
Six newspaper companies were also indicted for tax evasion, with some of them additionally charged with destroying accounting books.