Former Prosecutor Sentenced to Two Years for Accepting Bribes

A former prosecutor has been sentenced to two years in prison for accepting bribes from Jeong Un-ho, the former CEO of Nature Republic.

On September 3, the Supreme Court's first division, led by Justice Seo Kyung-hwan, upheld the original ruling that sentenced Park, a former chief prosecutor, to two years in prison and ordered the forfeiture of 92 million won. This decision comes nearly nine years after Park was indicted in May 2017.

Park is accused of receiving 100 million won from Jeong under the pretext of suppressing an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding Seoul Metro's leasing business.

The first trial sentenced Park to two years in prison and imposed a forfeiture of 92 million won. The appellate court dismissed appeals from both sides, maintaining the original ruling.

During the trial, Park admitted to dining with Jeong but denied any wrongdoing regarding the acceptance of money. However, both the first and second trials rejected his claims.

The investigation into Park began after prosecutors secured related testimonies while investigating Jeong for embezzlement and other charges. In June 2016, prosecutors conducted searches at Park's residence and the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office.

However, prior to the investigation, in early May of that year, Park was hospitalized due to a cerebral hemorrhage, leading prosecutors to delay his prosecution. After his discharge, they opted to proceed with the case without detention due to concerns about his health.

The Ministry of Justice held a disciplinary committee at the time, discussing Park's case and ultimately dismissing him before the indictment, along with a fine of 100 million won. The ministry stated that he violated his official duties and damaged his dignity by accepting money under the pretext of soliciting favors from public officials.

Meanwhile, Jeong, who was indicted on charges of violating the Specific Economic Crimes Act (embezzlement and breach of trust) and bribery, received a sentence of three years and six months from the Supreme Court in December 2017. He was found guilty of giving over 400 million won in bribes to judges and prosecutors in exchange for favors and embezzling a total of 10.8 billion won from company funds.