Park Youngwoo, Former Daewoo Winia Chairman, Applies for Bail in Second Trial Over Wage Arrears

"Deeply Sorry for Causing Social Controversy...
Will Strive to Compensate If Granted Bail"

Park Youngwoo, former chairman of Daewoo Winia Group, who was sentenced to four years in prison in the first trial for failing to pay hundreds of billions of won in wages and severance pay to workers, has applied for bail in his appeal trial.

On the 21st, during the first hearing of the appeal at Suwon High Court Criminal Division 2-3 (Presiding Judges Park Gwangseo, Kim Minki, and Kim Jongwoo), which is reviewing charges including violation of the Labor Standards Act, Park's defense attorney argued, "If the defendant is released on bail, it will provide substantial assistance to the affected workers."

Park Youngwoo Former Daewoo Winia Chairman Yonhap News

The attorney stated, "The defendant generally acknowledges the facts and is only disputing the legal interpretation regarding the establishment of the crime. In such cases, the principle of trial without detention should be observed." He further appealed, "Please also consider whether it is legally appropriate to hold the defendant, who is responsible for business management at the holding company, criminally liable for wage arrears as if he were the CEO of an affiliated company."

He continued, "The defendant has been detained for one year and three months while undergoing radiation treatment for cancer, and is now in a very weakened physical and mental state." He emphasized, "This wage arrears incident was never a deliberate or malicious crime. There was simply no time to resolve issues such as the lack of severance pay reserves due to the COVID-19 crisis and other factors." He also revealed that Park's side plans to pay 15.5 billion won next month.

When asked by the court if he had anything to say regarding compensation, Park responded, "I have done my best so far, but I am deeply sorry to the workers for causing social controversy. If I am granted bail, I will work even harder."

The period of Park's detention pending appeal is set to expire around mid-September this year.

The prosecution requested the court to reject the defendant's bail application, stating, "Even if, as the defense claims, 15.5 billion won is repaid, there still remains an additional 30 billion won."

The court plans to decide on Park's bail after further review. The next hearing is scheduled for July 9 at 4:00 p.m.

Previously, Park was indicted and detained in March last year on charges of conspiring with Kim Hyukpyo, CEO of Winia, Park Hyuncheol, former CEO of Winia Electronics, and Ahn Byungdeok, former CEO of Winia Electronics, to withhold approximately 47 billion won in wages and severance pay from about 800 employees of Winia Electronics and Winia from October 2020 to December 2023. The first trial found him guilty of some charges and sentenced him to four years in prison.

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