"Former Korea Freedom Federation Branch Head Faces One-Year Prison Sentence for Bribery in Hiring Case"

Relative Who Provided 10 Million Won for Employment Request Also Faces Six Months in Prison

The prosecution has sought a prison sentence for a former head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Korea Freedom Federation, who is accused of receiving money under the guise of a donation in exchange for hiring a relative’s son.

On April 28, Judge Kim Suhyeon of the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 8 held a final hearing for Mr. A (78), the former head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Korea Freedom Federation, and Mr. B (77), both indicted on charges including breach of trust and accepting bribes.

Exterior view of Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office.

On this day, the prosecution requested that the court sentence Mr. A to one year in prison and impose a forfeiture of 10 million won, while requesting a six-month prison sentence for Mr. B, who handed over the money in connection with the employment request.

Mr. A, while serving as head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Korea Freedom Federation around April 2024, was indicted on charges of accepting 10 million won from Mr. B, a relative, after receiving a request to hire Mr. B’s son as a branch employee. Mr. B is accused of depositing the money into the branch’s corporate account to secure his son’s employment.

The defendants have mostly denied the prosecution’s allegations and appealed for leniency. In their final statements, Mr. A and others argued, “The money was a pure donation intended for the operation of the organization and was not given as a quid pro quo for employment.”

They further contended, “Considering the son’s academic background, there was no basis for hiring irregularities, and since the actual salary was low, the intent was to help him gain work experience.”

However, the prosecution maintains that even though the money was deposited into the corporate account, the timing coincided with the employment and thus clearly constituted a quid pro quo, making a prison sentence unavoidable.

The sentencing hearing for this case of alleged “child hiring corruption” within a quasi-governmental organization is scheduled to take place at the Gwangju District Court at 2 p.m. on June 11, 2026.

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