'Secret Power' Choi Soon-sil's Half-Brother Sentenced to Prison in Second Trial for Embezzlement

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Choi Jae-seok, the half-brother of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), who was identified as a key figure in the 'state affairs manipulation' scandal, was indicted for embezzling money from overseas Korean residents and, although his sentence was reduced in the second trial, he was detained in court.

According to the court on the 16th, the Seoul Eastern District Court Criminal Appeal Division 3 (Presiding Judge Kim Chun-ho) overturned the first trial's sentence of one year imprisonment for Choi, who was charged with embezzlement in the course of business, and sentenced him to six months imprisonment, detaining him in court.

Choi was prosecuted for allegedly receiving investments worth $115,000 (approximately 128 million KRW) from Korean residents in Vietnam between 2017 and 2018 under the pretext of an amusement facility business, but embezzling the amount after selling the company due to financial difficulties.

He drafted an agreement with the victims to return the investment funds after selling the company, but investigations revealed that most of the money was not returned and was used for personal purposes.

The first trial court stated, "The defendant denies the validity of the agreement, and the investment amounts from victims with objective evidence are also uncertain, indicating a bad nature of the crime," adding, "Considering the defendant's attitude and financial status, it is difficult to expect a smooth return of the investment funds, making a prison sentence inevitable."

However, the second trial court judged, "Considering that Choi partially repaid the victims, a one-year imprisonment is excessively harsh," but "even so, since he did not keep the agreement and used the proceeds at his discretion, a prison sentence is unavoidable."

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