Court Sentences Former Basketball Player Kim Seunghyun to 10 Million Won Fine for 'Fraud' Charges

Accused of Fraud for Not Repaying 100 Million Won Borrowed from Friend
Court: "Crime Exploiting Friend's Trust... Defendant Has Repaid and Is Reflecting"

Kim Seung-hyun, a basketball commentator and former professional player who was indicted on fraud charges for not repaying 100 million won borrowed from a friend, is leaving after the sentencing hearing held on the morning of the 23rd at the Seongnam Branch of Suwon District Court in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Kim Seunghyun (42), a basketball commentator and former basketball player who was prosecuted on fraud charges for not repaying money borrowed from a friend, was sentenced to a fine of 10 million won.

On the 23rd, Judge Bang Ilsu of Criminal Division 5 at Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch sentenced Kim, who was prosecuted without detention on fraud charges, to a fine of 10 million won. Earlier, the prosecution had requested a prison sentence of 1 year and 6 months at the sentencing hearing held on the 16th.

The court stated the reason for sentencing, saying, "This is a crime that abused the trust of a long-time friend and must be punished severely," but also considered "the fact that the defendant repaid the borrowed money and is showing remorse."

Kim is accused of borrowing 100 million won from his friend A in May 2018 during the process of raising funds for acquiring a golf course, promising to repay the money as a wedding gift, but has not repaid it until recently. A, a friend of 20 years, trusted Kim and lent the money without a promissory note.

However, when Kim did not repay the money, A filed a complaint against him at the end of last year. A’s side explained the reason for the complaint, saying, "We filed the complaint because Kim did not repay the money and shamelessly flaunted a luxurious lifestyle on SNS without any sign of remorse," and "Kim repaid all the money only after the prosecution transferred the case and the fact became public through the media."

The prosecution sent Kim to trial on fraud charges on September 21.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 16th, Kim’s lawyer made a final argument, saying, "At that time, Kim’s financial situation was difficult as he was looking for a newlywed home, which delayed the repayment," and "Please take into account that he repaid all the borrowed money and paid 7.8 million won in interest, making efforts to prevent damage."

At that time, Kim said in his final statement, "I feel sorry to my friend for not being able to repay for a long time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.