'Hong Moon-jong Sentenced to 4 Years and 6 Months in Prison in Second Trial for Embezzlement and Breach of Trust Amounting to 7.5 Billion Won... Taken into Custody'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Former lawmaker Hong Moon-jong (67, leader of the Pro-Park Shin Party), who was indicted for embezzling about 7.5 billion KRW of private school foundation funds, was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison in the appellate court, a heavier sentence than the 4 years in the first trial, and was taken into custody in court.

On the afternoon of the 1st, the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Park Yeon-wook, Park Won-cheol, Lee Hee-joon) sentenced former lawmaker Hong to a total of 4 years and 6 months in prison and a fine of 50 million KRW in the appeal trial. A confiscation order of 47.63 million KRW was also issued.

According to the current Public Official Election Act, if the accused was a member of the National Assembly at the time of the crime, the sentence for bribery must be distinguished and imposed accordingly. Accordingly, former lawmaker Hong was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison and a fine for bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. For embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, violation of the Act on the Regulation of Concealment of Criminal Proceeds, and instigation of harboring a criminal, he was sentenced to 2 years in prison and ordered to pay confiscation.

The appellate court stated, "The defendant betrayed the duty of integrity and received a luxury car in connection with his duties on the National Assembly standing committee, greatly damaging the public's trust in the fairness and non-bribability of his duties," and "As the son of the founder of Kyungmin Academy and its chairman, the defendant abused his position to treat the assets of Kyungmin Academy and Kyungmin University as personal property, causing harm to the school and its students."

However, the court also said, "The defendant did not actively demand bribes and committed the crime following the other party's proposal," and "The number of times the luxury car was actually used was not many, so the actual amount of benefit seems to be not large."

Former lawmaker Hong pleaded, "My elderly mother is unwell and I have something to convey personally," and begged, "Please postpone the execution of the sentence even for just one day," but this was not accepted.

Earlier, former lawmaker Hong was indicted on charges of receiving about 100 million KRW in bribes, including car lease fees, from IT company representatives from June 2013 to September 2014, under the pretext of lobbying related ministries, while he was a member of the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the People Power Party. He was also charged with breach of trust and embezzlement of 7.5 billion KRW of school funds, including arbitrarily using 2.4 billion KRW of school funds that were reimbursed after being spent on calligraphy and painting transactions during his tenure as chairman of Kyungmin Academy and president of Kyungmin University.

In the first trial, former lawmaker Hong was sentenced to 1 year in prison for bribery and 3 years in prison for embezzlement and other charges. The first trial court recognized as guilty the embezzlement charge of about 5 billion KRW and the bribery charge of receiving a luxury vehicle from an IT company official. The court also found guilty the charge of disguising the nominal representative as the actual operator of Kyungmin International Christian School, which was operated without school establishment approval, when the police cracked down on the school.

However, he was acquitted of charges of receiving 30 million KRW in cash and Gongjindan from an IT official and other embezzlement and breach of trust charges due to insufficient evidence. The court also stated, "There is no risk of flight, and to give the defendant an opportunity to contest through appeal, he will not be detained in court."

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