Robot Land Foundation Executives Sentenced to Prison for Collecting Agency Salaries Without Coming to Work

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] All former executives and employees of the Robot Land Foundation (hereinafter the Foundation), jointly funded and established by Gyeongnam Province and Changwon City, were sentenced to imprisonment on charges of receiving salaries without actually going to work from an asset management agency.

On the 18th, Judge Kang Jiwoong of the Criminal Division 1 at Masan Branch of Changwon District Court announced that former Foundation Director A (59), who was tried for breach of trust, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison; former Head B (63) was sentenced to 1 year; and former Manager C (55) was sentenced to 8 months in prison.

From 2011, for a period of 1 year and 6 months, A and others received a total of approximately 140 million won as dispatch allowances from the Foundation’s special purpose corporation asset management agency, separate from the Foundation’s salary.

The allowances, which they received via personal accounts without attending work, were revealed to have been used for expenses such as entertainment bar alcohol bills, golf round fees, and personal chauffeur salaries.

Judge Kang stated, "Employees of the Robot Land Foundation, a local government-funded institution, have the duty to perform their duties fairly while maintaining integrity and morality in their work, but they committed the crime in a planned and organized manner, which is of poor nature," adding, "It is necessary to strictly punish the serious moral hazard of public institution employees, so a prison sentence is unavoidable."

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