Yoon Seok-yeol's Mother-in-Law Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison for 'Balance Certificate Forgery' in First Trial... Avoids Immediate Imprisonment

Accomplice Kim Mo Sentenced to 6 Months Imprisonment with 2 Years Probation

On September 28, Choi Eun-soon, the mother-in-law of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial on charges including 'fraudulent receipt of nursing care benefits' and released on bail after two months, is attending the continuation of the second trial at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] Choi Eun-soon (75), the mother-in-law of Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, who was indicted on charges of forging a bank balance certificate during the land purchase process, was sentenced to one year in prison at the first trial sentencing hearing held on the 23rd.

Judge Park Se-hwang of the Criminal Division 8 at Uijeongbu District Court recognized Choi’s guilt on charges of forgery of private documents, use of forged private documents, and violation of the Real Name Real Estate Act during the sentencing hearing held from 11 a.m. that day, sentencing her to one year in prison. However, the court did not order her detention in court, considering that Choi had been released on bail in the appeal trial of the 'fraudulent receipt of nursing care benefits' case.

The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "She confessed to the forgery of private documents, and her advanced age and current poor health condition are favorable factors, but the large amount of the forged bank balance certificate, the fact that the crime was committed multiple times, the submission of the forged bank balance certificate as evidence in court which undermined the fairness of the trial, and the acquisition of real estate under a borrowed name are unfavorable factors."

Kim (44), who was indicted for assisting Choi in forging the bank balance certificate, was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation. The court said, "The fact that he confessed to the charges and has no criminal record exceeding a fine is a favorable factor, but like Choi, the large amount of the forged bank balance certificate and the repeated commission of the crime are unfavorable factors."

Choi was indicted on charges of conspiring with Ahn (59) to forge a bank balance certificate that falsely showed 34.7 billion KRW deposited in a bank during the land purchase process in Dochon-dong from April to October 2013, and then using it. She was also charged with contracting and registering the Dochon-dong land under the names of Ahn’s son-in-law and others.

Ahn is currently undergoing a separate trial at the same court.

At the sentencing hearing held on the 2nd, the prosecution requested one year in prison for Choi and six months in prison for Kim.

At that time, Choi said in her final statement, "I am very sorry for causing social controversy," but added, "(My former business partner) deliberately requested and used the forged bank balance certificate."

Choi’s lawyer also said, "The forgery of the bank balance certificate was due to the persistent request of (the former business partner)," and asked for leniency, saying, "No actual damage occurred."

In particular, Choi’s lawyer appealed to the court to acquit her of the charge of using forged private documents, arguing that Choi did not directly use the forged bank balance certificate.

Meanwhile, Choi was sentenced to three years in prison and detained in court in the first trial for charges of illegally opening a nursing hospital and fraudulent receipt of nursing care benefits, but was released on bail last September and is currently undergoing an appeal trial while not in detention.

At the appeal sentencing hearing held on the 21st before the Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Yoon Kang-yeol, Park Jae-young, Kim Sang-cheol), the prosecution requested the court to dismiss the defendant’s appeal and maintain the first trial sentence of three years in prison. The appeal sentencing hearing is scheduled for the 25th of next month.

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