Prosecution Appeals to Supreme Court in ‘Hana Bank Hiring Corruption’ Case... Probation and Fines for HR Managers in Appellate Trial

1st and Appellate Courts: "Some Charges Guilty but No Personal Gain Obtained"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] Former HR managers of Hana Bank, who were accused of hiring irregularities such as giving preferential treatment to certain applicants during the recruitment process, received suspended prison sentences and fines again in the appellate court, prompting the prosecution to file an appeal.

According to the legal community on the 18th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office submitted a notice of appeal to the Seoul Western District Court the day before. The case will be reviewed by the Supreme Court, and the defendants have not yet filed an appeal.

Previously, the first trial court found that the HR managers separately created and managed a list of recommended candidates submitted to the HR department, and recognized part of the charges as guilty, concluding that the recommendation list was intended to pass certain applicants. Former Hana Bank HR Manager Song (58) was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspension and fined 2 million KRW, and his successor Kang (59) was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspension and fined 1 million KRW. Former HR Team Leaders Oh (53) and Park (53) were fined 10 million KRW each, and Hana Bank as a corporation was fined 7 million KRW.

The appellate court also ruled on the 14th, stating, "In a situation where employment difficulties are severe and fairness has become an important value, Hana Bank obstructed the work of interviewers and the bank by changing and manipulating scores for recommended candidates or applicants from specific universities to give opportunities to certain applicants." However, the court maintained the sentences, considering that "the defendants did not gain economic benefits from this case personally, nor did they pass their own children or relatives, and that the incident occurred in the process of following wrongful practices while working diligently, making it difficult to hold them personally responsible."

Former Hana Bank HR managers were accused of creating a so-called 'VIP list' during the 2015-2016 Hana Bank new employee recruitment process and giving preferential treatment to recommended candidates and applicants from specific universities. It was revealed that Hana Bank as a corporation set a predetermined acceptance rate for female applicants and mainly hired male applicants.

Meanwhile, Ham Young-joo, Vice Chairman of Hana Financial Group, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 5 million KRW at the first trial related to the hiring irregularities last month, and his sentencing is scheduled for the 25th of this month.

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