Yoon Seok-yeol's Mother-in-Law's First Trial Verdict: 'No Official Statement' but Impact Inevitable

(Uijeongbu=Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Byung-sik = Choi, the mother-in-law of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who is accused of opening a nursing hospital and embezzling nursing benefits, appeared at the first trial sentencing hearing held at the Uijeongbu District Court in Ganeung-dong, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 2nd.
On that day, the court sentenced Choi to three years in prison and ordered her immediate detention.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who declared his bid for the presidency, has encountered a setback early on. Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi Eun-soon (74), was sentenced to prison for violating the Medical Service Act, casting a red light on Yoon's future political moves.

On the 2nd, the Criminal Division 13 of the Uijeongbu District Court (Chief Judge Jung Sung-kyun) sentenced Choi Eun-soon (74), who was indicted on charges of violating the Medical Service Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud), to three years in prison and ordered her immediate detention in court.

Choi was prosecuted for opening a nursing hospital without being a medical professional and receiving improper nursing care benefits from the National Health Insurance Service. In 2013, she established a medical foundation with three partners and set up and operated a nursing hospital in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, allegedly embezzling nursing care benefits. Although this hospital did not qualify as a medical institution under the Medical Service Act eligible to receive nursing care benefits from the National Health Insurance Service, it was investigated that they received approximately 2.29 billion KRW over two years starting in 2013.

The Yoon campaign stated that they would not issue an official statement. They reiterated that aside from the legal representatives related to the case, there would be no separate press release.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon previously stated, "I hold the belief that everyone should receive equal investigation and trial according to law and principles, and that even family members should not be exceptions," so it is expected that he will continue his political activities until the final verdict is announced.

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