‘Mokpo Speculation Allegation’ Son Hye-won... Fine of 10 Million Won Confirmed

1st Trial "Using Official Work Secrets for Financial Gain" Sentenced to 1 Year 6 Months
2nd Trial "Not Real Estate Purchase via Mokpo City Data... Only Violated Real Name Real Estate Act"

Former lawmaker Son Hye-won, who was indicted on charges of purchasing real estate under a borrowed name after preemptively acquiring information about Mokpo City's 'urban regeneration project plan,' is attending the appellate sentencing hearing held last November at the Seoul Southern District Court.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] Former Democratic Party lawmaker Son Hye-won, who was prosecuted on charges of purchasing real estate under a borrowed name after learning in advance about the ‘urban regeneration project plan’ in Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do, has been sentenced to a fine.

The Supreme Court’s First Division (Presiding Justice No Tae-ak) on the 17th upheld the lower court’s ruling that sentenced Son, who was indicted for violating the Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Operation of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (Anti-Corruption Act) and the Real Name Real Estate Act, to a fine of 10 million won. Son’s former aide Jo, who was also prosecuted alongside her, had his sentence of six months imprisonment with a one-year probation confirmed, consistent with the lower court’s ruling.

Son was charged with receiving confidential materials containing the urban regeneration project plan from Mokpo City officials twice in May and September 2017, and from June 2017 to January 2019, purchasing real estate worth approximately 1.4 billion won in total?including 26 land parcels and 21 buildings within the urban regeneration project area?under the names of her nephew, acquaintances, and the Crosspoint Cultural Foundation, chaired by her husband (violation of the Anti-Corruption Act).

She was also suspected of holding three land parcels and two buildings related to Changseongjang worth about 72 million won under her nephew Son’s name (violation of the Real Name Real Estate Act).

The first trial court recognized her guilt for violating the Anti-Corruption Act and sentenced her to one year and six months imprisonment. The court acknowledged the confidentiality of the ‘urban regeneration project plan’ materials obtained from Mokpo City Hall and judged that she used secrets learned through official duties to gain financial benefits.

However, the court ruled that after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the urban regeneration project on December 14, 2017, the confidentiality was lost, so acquiring related real estate after the announcement did not constitute a violation of the Anti-Corruption Act.

On the other hand, the appellate court acquitted her of the Anti-Corruption Act violation charges and only recognized guilt for violating the Real Name Real Estate Act, reducing the sentence to a fine of 10 million won.

The appellate court judged that the ‘Mokpo City urban regeneration project materials’ Son received were confidential but found that she did not purchase related real estate using this information, thus acquitting her of the Anti-Corruption Act violation. However, it upheld the first trial’s guilty verdict regarding her use of her nephew’s name in real estate transactions.

The Supreme Court also agreed with the appellate court’s judgment.

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