Suspended Sentence Confirmed for Former Bucheon City Council Chairman Who Took 700,000 Won from ATM Belonging to Another Person

Supreme Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Photo by Honam Moon munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Lee Donghyun (51), former chairman of the Bucheon City Council in Gyeonggi Province, who was accused of stealing money left behind by someone else at an ATM, has been sentenced to probation.

On the 15th, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Kim Jaehyung) announced that it upheld the original sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison with 3 years of probation in the appeal trial of Lee, who was charged with theft and promise of bribery through mediation.

Earlier, in March of last year, Lee was brought to trial on charges of stealing 700,000 won in cash that someone had accidentally left behind at an ATM in a bank in Bucheon. He was also charged with promising to receive compensation in exchange for helping a real estate developer with land use changes.

After the case was reported in June of last year, Lee submitted his resignation from the Democratic Party and stepped down from his chairman position. Last month, it was reported that he finally expressed his intention to resign as a council member and submitted his resignation letter.

The first trial sentenced him to 1 year and 6 months in prison. At that time, the court pointed out, "Considering the defendant’s actions of taking the money from the ATM while looking around, the claim that he was intoxicated and mentally impaired at the time cannot be accepted." Regarding the promise of bribery through mediation, the court found him guilty based on testimonies from public officials stating that "the defendant asked for special attention."

However, the second trial reduced the sentence to 1 year and 6 months in prison with 3 years of probation. This was in consideration of the fact that he admitted and reflected on his crime, gave up his business shares related to the land and did not gain any particular benefit, and returned the 700,000 won stolen from the ATM. The Supreme Court also agreed with this judgment and dismissed both the prosecutor’s and the defendant’s appeals.

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