Hamyungju, Vice Chairman of Hana Financial Group, Acquitted in First Trial on Hiring Corruption Charges (Comprehensive)

Former Vice President Jang Ki-yong Receives Suspended Sentence, Hana Bank Corporation Fined 7 Million Won

On the 11th, Ham Young-joo, Vice Chairman of Hana Financial Group, who was acquitted in the first trial on charges including obstruction of business at the Seoul Western District Court, is responding to questions from the press.
Photo by Oh Kyu-min

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] Ham Young-joo (66), Vice Chairman of Hana Financial Group, who was prosecuted for exerting influence during the recruitment process of new employees at Hana Bank to ensure the success of a specific applicant, was acquitted in the first trial.

On the 11th, Judge Park Bomi of the Criminal Division 4 at the Seoul Western District Court acquitted Vice Chairman Ham, who was charged with obstruction of business. Jang Ki-yong (67), former Vice President of Hana Bank, who was prosecuted together with Ham, was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation, and Hana Bank as a corporation was fined 7 million won.

The court stated the reason for acquittal on the charge of obstruction of business against Vice Chairman Ham, saying, "There is no concrete evidence to prove the existence of the defendant's instructions," and "Personnel department employees consistently testified that there were no instructions from Vice Chairman Ham, and there is no evidence to reject this."

The court also acquitted him of violating the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation. The prosecution had previously claimed that Vice Chairman Ham instructed male-oriented recruitment, but the court did not accept this.

The court explained, "It is clear discrimination based on traditional stereotypes by artificially setting gender ratios," but added, "The discriminatory recruitment method of (Hana Bank) appears to have been a customary internal practice within the personnel department for at least 10 years." It further stated, "There is no physical evidence that the defendant reported to recruit mainly males."

Former Vice President Jang, who faces the same charges as Vice Chairman Ham, was found guilty only for two out of four applicants listed in the indictment regarding obstruction of business. Hana Bank was fined 7 million won under the joint penalty regulation as the guilt of former Vice President Jang and personnel department employees was recognized.

Vice Chairman Ham was prosecuted on charges of intervening in the document screening, group interviews, and executive interviews during the new employee recruitment process in 2015 and 2016 as Hana Bank President, receiving requests from acquaintances and manipulating scores of disqualified candidates.

Additionally, Vice Chairman Ham is also charged with violating the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation by pre-setting the male-to-female ratio of new employees from 2013 to 2016. Former Vice President Jang was also prosecuted on the same charge.

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