First Appeal Trial of Hana Financial Group on 'Recruitment Corruption' Charges... Both Sides Clash Over First Trial's Not Guilty Verdict

Hana Bank States "Gender Imbalance Resolution and Obstruction of Business Not Established"
1st Trial Acquits Chairman Ham and Sentences Former Vice President to Probation

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The prosecution argued that the first trial ruling, which acquitted Han Young-joo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group, who is accused of recruitment corruption, was unjust in the first appeal trial.

The Seoul Western District Court Criminal Appeal Division 1-3 (Chief Judge Ahn Jong-hwa) held the first appeal trial on the afternoon of the 17th for Chairman Han, former Hana Bank Vice President Jang Ki-yong, and Hana Bank, who are accused of obstruction of business and violation of the Gender Equality Employment Act.

The prosecution claimed that Chairman Han exerted influence over the recruitment process. The prosecution stated the reason for the appeal, saying, "It is recognized that Chairman Han gave instructions and the head of the HR department who received them provided special recruitment, and that the fairness of the recruitment work was infringed," and "the not guilty verdict on the violation of the Gender Equality Employment Act also involves a legal misunderstanding." The prosecution also appealed against former Vice President Jang and Hana Bank, who were indicted together, citing misrecognition of facts and other reasons.

On the other hand, Hana Bank’s defense lawyer argued, "The violation of the Gender Equality Employment Act, which claims that more male applicants were hired, is important in whether discrimination occurred in the process, not the recruitment results," and defended that more males were hired to resolve gender imbalance. Regarding the obstruction of business charge, they claimed, "Obstruction of business itself does not apply from the beginning," and "the reason why (the obstruction of business charge) does not apply was also given in the first trial."

According to the prosecution, Chairman Han and former Vice President Jang are accused of intervening in the document screening, group interviews, and executive interviews during the 2015 and 2016 new employee recruitment process while serving as Hana Bank President, receiving requests from acquaintances, and manipulating the scores of candidates who were to be rejected. They are also accused of pre-determining the male-to-female ratio of new employees from 2013 to 2016.

In March, the first trial court acquitted Chairman Han, stating, "No concrete evidence proving (Chairman Han’s) instructions was secured, and no physical evidence was secured that there was a report to hire mainly males." However, former Vice President Jang was found partially guilty of obstruction of business and was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation. Hana Bank as a corporation was fined 7 million won.

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