'2.2 Billion Won Fraudulent Nursing Care Benefits' Allegation Against Yoon Seok-yeol's Mother-in-Law, First Trial Verdict Today

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (left) and his wife Kim Kun-hee, CEO of Kobana Contents [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The first trial sentencing hearing for Choi Eunsoon (74), the mother-in-law of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who has been on trial for fraudulently receiving nursing care benefits worth approximately 2.2 billion KRW, will be held.

According to the court on the 2nd, at 10:40 a.m., the Criminal Division 13 of Uijeongbu District Court (Chief Judge Jeong Seonggyun) will hold the sentencing hearing for Choi, who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud).

At the previous closing argument hearing, the prosecution requested the court to sentence Choi to three years in prison, stating that "it is clear that Choi was involved in the operation of the hospital." On the other hand, Choi's side denied the charges, claiming that "she only lent money when the hospital was established and was not involved in its operation."

Choi was prosecuted for fraudulently receiving over 2.2 billion KRW in nursing care benefits from the National Health Insurance Service while operating a nursing hospital in Paju City with partners from 2013 to 2015. She is suspected of being substantially involved in the hospital's operation by lending several hundred million KRW as a deposit for purchasing the hospital building.

The Paju Police Department, which investigated the case, sent three partners excluding Choi to the prosecution with an indictment opinion in 2015. The prosecution brought them to trial the same year. Partner A was sentenced to four years in prison in 2017 for fraudulently receiving nursing care benefits and is currently serving the sentence. The other two were each sentenced to two years and six months in prison with a four-year probation period.

Later, Representative Choi Kangwook of the Open Democratic Party and others filed a complaint against Choi last April for violating the Medical Service Act, and the prosecution indicted Choi without detention. However, the prosecution decided not to indict regarding allegations that former Prosecutor General Yoon covered up the mother-in-law's case.

Meanwhile, Choi is also facing a separate trial at the same court for charges of forging bank account balances (forgery of private documents, etc.).

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