Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho, 93, has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, sources at Lotte Group told a local news agency on condition of anonymity.
In a video recently released by a broadcaster, the 93-year-old founder read a script in an inarticulate tone without making any eye contact with the camera, thus raising suspicions of his mental health problems.
On August 10, Yonhap News Agency quoted sources at Lotte as saying: “Shin Kyuk-ho was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease roughly 3-4 years ago.”
According to Yonhap News Agency, Shin has been taking medication for Alzheimer's disease. “The sources said that Shin’s two sons, Dong-joo and Dong-bin, and his eldest daughter Young-ja are well aware of his mental condition but have remained tight-lipped on it,” Yonhap News Agency reported.
Since the founder was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at a university hospital located in Seoul, he has been regularly treated by concierge doctors at his office on the 34th floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Yonhap News Agency reported that Shin became very forgetful of what he was briefed on and asked the same questions repeatedly, main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The sources told Yonhap News Agency: “His conditions suddenly took a turn for the worse this year.”
Yonhap News Agency also cited a relative of Shin as saying: “I met him on a daily basis. He may have tried so hard to pull himself together to talk about something serious with me. I noticed nothing unusual about him.”
Asked about the health conditions of Shin, his second son Dong-bin (Lotte Group Korea chairman) told reporters at Kimpo international Airport on August 3: “As regards that issue, I find it a little difficult to answer your questions.”
Shin Kyuk-ho on August 1 made his first public appearance on video since a succession feud between his two sons erupted. However, it stopped short of quelling suspicions of his ailing health conditions. In the video, he misread Lotte Holdings of Japan as Lotte Holdings of Korea. He stammered and paused many times. Some pointed out that his speech would have been unintelligible if it hadn’t been for captions.
