'Bribery and Embezzlement' Charges Against Jeon Byeongheon... Supreme Court Confirms Suspended Sentence

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Jeon Byeongheon, former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, who was tried for accepting bribes worth hundreds of millions of won through the Korea e-Sports Association, has been confirmed guilty.

On the 11th, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Lee Dongwon) upheld the original sentence in the appeal trial of former Secretary Jeon, who was charged with bribery and other offenses, sentencing him to 1 year in prison with a 2-year probation for bribery and violation of the Political Funds Act, and 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation for embezzlement in the course of duty.

Former Secretary Jeon was indicted on charges of conspiring with Yoon, who was his secretary when he was a member of the National Assembly in 2013, to have the Korea e-Sports Association receive 150 million won from GS Home Shopping in exchange for withdrawing a National Assembly inspection witness request against the CEO, and 100 million won from KT as a bribe to look favorably upon KT.

The first trial largely recognized the charges against former Secretary Jeon, sentencing him to 5 years in prison for bribery and other charges, and 1 year in prison with a 2-year probation for embezzlement and other remaining charges.

In the second trial, the 300 million won sponsorship from Lotte Home Shopping was acquitted, reducing the sentence for bribery and other charges to 1 year in prison with a 2-year probation. The charge of pressuring the Ministry of Strategy and Finance for budget allocation was also acquitted, reducing the sentence for embezzlement and other charges to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation.

Former Secretary Jeon appealed, but the Supreme Court dismissed it. Yoon, the former secretary who was indicted alongside former Secretary Jeon, was also confirmed to have a 5-year prison sentence and a fine of 500 million won on the same day.

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