Choi Sun-won Requests Bail from Court "Health Deterioration Including Weight Loss During Detention"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Choi Shin-won, chairman of SK Networks, who was arrested and indicted on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust involving 200 billion won, has requested the court to grant bail, citing deteriorating health after detention.

At the trial held on the 12th at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 23 (Presiding Judge Yoo Young-geun), Choi's lawyer argued, "The defendant is 70 years old and suffers from diabetes and other illnesses, and his health has worsened, including a weight loss of more than 10 kg since detention."

He also stated, "The concern that the defendant might destroy evidence has largely been alleviated," and added, "The claim that he would exert influence over witnesses without any basis simply because he is the head of a corporate group is not reasonable." He further argued, "The main executive witnesses have already been examined, and the remaining witnesses are scheduled to be examined soon, so there is no risk of improper instructions being given to them."

In response, the prosecution pointed out, "He was indicted on charges warranting a prison sentence of over 10 years, so bail is not possible," and warned, "(Granting bail) could be perceived as making an exception for chaebol families." They also claimed, "There are reports that defendant Choi Shin-won is attempting to sway witnesses," and stated, "There is no reason to grant bail as the detention period is about to expire."

Regardless of the bail decision, Chairman Choi is expected to be released soon. He was arrested and indicted in March, and must leave the detention center early next month, marking the sixth month, which is the maximum detention period per trial stage under the Criminal Procedure Act. From then until sentencing, he will stand trial while not in detention.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has indicted him on the grounds that he lent money from affiliated companies to a company in which he holds most of the shares, causing losses to the affiliates, or embezzled corporate funds to pay for a capital increase he was responsible for. The prosecution estimates the amount involved in the embezzlement and breach of trust charges to be a total of 223.5 billion won. The defense denies most of the charges, arguing that the loans to affiliates were effectively secured loans.

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