Lotte E&C indicted over poor construction work for skyscraper

Lotte Engineering & Construction Co. has been indicted on charges of poor management of the building site of its skyscraper set to be the tallest in Seoul when completed next year.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor's Office announced on Monday that it had charged the construction arm of Lotte Group and its executive director with violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act in building the 123-story Lotte World Tower.

The move comes amid a severe feud among the family members of Lotte founder Shin Kyuk-Ho over control of South Korea's fifth-largest conglomerate.

Prosecutors say Lotte, beset by a series of lethal safety accidents at the building site in eastern Seoul, has violations in over 100 cases. Lotte denies accepting the charges in some 50 cases.

Meanwhile, Lotte Group is reportedly considering listing shares of its affiliate Lotte Hotels and Resorts, the de facto holding company of the conglomerate's Korean operations, on the main Korea Exchange.