'Embezzlement and Bribery' Lee Myung-bak Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison on Appeal (Update)

Former President Lee Myung-bak, who was indicted on charges including embezzlement of DAS funds and bribery and sentenced to 15 years in prison in the first trial, is attending the final hearing held at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 1, presided over by Chief Judge Junyoung Jung, which is handling the appeal trial of former President Lee Myung-bak's 'DAS scandal' case, concluded the one-year trial procedure on the 8th with the closing arguments.

On this day, the prosecution requested a sentence of 17 years in prison, a fine of 25 billion KRW, and a confiscation of about 16.3 billion KRW for former President Lee's Samsung bribery charges. For the remaining charges, including embezzlement of DAS, they requested a sentence of 6 years in prison and a fine of 7 billion KRW. In total, this amounts to 23 years in prison and a fine of 32 billion KRW. The first trial sentenced him to 15 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion KRW, and confiscation of about 8.2 billion KRW. Former President Lee, who had been detained in court, was released on bail in March last year and has been undergoing trial without detention.

The prosecution stated, "Until the last day of the fact-finding trial, former President Lee did not offer a sincere apology or reflection and shifted responsibility onto his aides who worked for him," adding, "It is necessary to punish the anti-constitutional acts committed by former President Lee to establish the foundation of the rule of law."

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