'Over 100 Million Won Bribery' Former Saemaeul Geumgo Chairman Park Cha-hoon Partially Acquitted, Supreme Court Remands Case

First and Second Trials Overturned: Six-Year Prison Sentence and 200 Million Won Fine Nullified
Demand for Attorney Fee Payment "Belongs to Attorney, Not Punishable"
Receiving Golden Seals Acquitted Due to "Illegal Evidence Collection"

Former Saemaeul Geumgo Central Association Chairman Park Cha-hoon, who was sentenced to prison for receiving hundreds of millions of won in financial benefits from executives of the Central Association and asset management company representatives, received a partial acquittal from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that the demand and promise for attorney fees, which were recognized as guilty in the second trial, could not be punished, and also judged that the criminal facts related to the 'golden seal' worth about 8 million won were not procedurally followed during the evidence collection process.

On the 10th, the Supreme Court's First Division (Presiding Justice Seo Kyung-hwan) overturned the original ruling that sentenced former Chairman Park to six years in prison, a fine of 200 million won, and a confiscation of 172 million won on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, and remanded the case to the Seoul High Court.

Previously, former Chairman Park was on trial for allegedly receiving 100 million won in cash and 50 million won in attorney fees paid on his behalf from former CEO Yoo Young-seok of asset management company Ice Tum Partners through former Central Association Credit Guarantee CEO Ryu Hyuk. He was also charged with receiving two golden seals worth about 8 million won from Kim, a representative of a Saemaeul Geumgo subsidiary, in August 2022, and with receiving 78 million won from three full-time directors during the December 2021 Central Association chairman election, which was used for congratulatory and condolence expenses and employee incentives, as well as having 22 million won in attorney fees paid on his behalf.

Both the first and second trials sentenced him to six years in prison. The second trial court found him guilty of receiving 100 million won in offerings, 22 million won in attorney fees, and two golden seals. The charge of receiving 50 million won in attorney fees related to former CEO Yoo was acquitted, but the preliminary indictment that he 'demanded and promised payment on behalf' was recognized as guilty.

However, the Supreme Court ruled that the demand and promise for the 50 million won attorney fees could not be punished, and judged that the criminal facts related to the golden seals were procedurally improper in the evidence collection process. The Supreme Court stated, "Even if the defendant demanded or promised to pay 50 million won in legal advisory fees, the benefits such as money belong to a third party, the attorney. Unless the defendant specifically avoids the debt or expense, it is difficult to consider that the defendant directly demanded or promised to receive it in social common sense."

Regarding the evidence collection related to the golden seals, the court judged, "The golden seals and other items stored at the defendant's residence in Seoul are not directly related to the criminal charges in the search warrant or the crimes with essentially the same basic facts." Since evidence unrelated to the criminal facts was seized, it was deemed illegal evidence collection.

Other judgments of the second trial were found to have no issues. The Seoul High Court, which will receive the case again, must proceed with the trial according to the Supreme Court's ruling. It is expected to re-determine the sentence based on the remaining charges, excluding the parts acquitted.

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