'Recruitment Corruption' Hana Bank HR Officers Sentenced to Probation and Fines

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] HR managers at KEB Hana Bank, who were indicted for giving hiring favors to certain applicants, were sentenced to suspended prison terms and fines.

On the 9th, Judge Suhyun Park of the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 9 sentenced former Hana Bank HR Manager Song Mo, who was indicted for obstruction of business, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension and a fine of 2 million KRW. His successor, Kang Mo, was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension and a fine of 1 million KRW.

Former Hana Bank HR Team Leaders Oh Mo and Park Mo, indicted for obstruction of business, were each fined 10 million KRW. Hana Bank, indicted for violating the Act on Gender Equality in Employment and Support for Work-Family Balance, was fined 7 million KRW.

According to the prosecution, between 2015 and 2016, they created and managed a so-called "VIP list" during the new employee recruitment process at Hana Bank, giving preferential treatment to applicants related to senior bank executives and those from specific schools. It was revealed that they applied non-public screening methods or gave higher interview scores to applicants connected to outside directors and subsidiary presidents, thereby providing hiring favors.

The court ruled that they created and managed a separate list of recommended candidates unofficially delivered to the HR department, and that the recommendation list was a device to ensure the acceptance of certain applicants, recognizing part of the obstruction of business charges as guilty.

The court stated, "Although there was no significant difference in the number of male and female applicants at the time of application, the proportion of female applicants accepted was predetermined, and hiring was male-oriented. The defendants' claim that male employees were needed for the job cannot be considered a reasonable justification."

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