'Hidden Power' Choi Seo-won Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison and Fined 20 Billion Won in Retrial... "Caused Disorder in National Governance" (Comprehensive)

'Secret power broker' Choi Soon-sil is attending the first trial sentencing hearing for abuse of authority and obstruction of rights held on the 13th at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), who was identified as a key figure in the Park Geun-hye administration's 'shadow power' and was prosecuted for the state affairs manipulation scandal, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the retrial after remand.

The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6 (Presiding Judges Oh Seok-jun, Baek Seung-yeop, Jo Gi-yeol) on the 14th sentenced Choi to 18 years in prison, a fine of 20 billion KRW, and confiscation of approximately 6.3 billion KRW in the retrial after remand. The court stated, "This trial is the retrial after remand of the defendant who bears considerable responsibility for causing the unprecedented presidential impeachment crisis in constitutional history," and pointed out, "The defendant's actions caused great confusion in the national order and state organizational system."

It continued, "The social conflicts such as public division and antagonism that arose during the impeachment process of the former president still continue," and emphasized, "Considering this, it is inevitable to hold Choi Seo-won strictly accountable corresponding to her actions."

The sentence was reduced by 2 years compared to before the retrial after remand by the Supreme Court's full bench. Choi was prosecuted on charges including conspiring with former President Park to receive bribes from Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong for equestrian support for her daughter Jung Yoo-ra, and coercing about 50 large corporations to contribute to the Mir and K-Sports Foundations. The second trial sentenced Choi to 20 years in prison, a fine of 20 billion KRW, and confiscation of over 7 billion KRW, but the Supreme Court's full bench in August last year ruled that some of Choi's coercion charges should be acquitted and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.

Besides the sentence, among the three horses Choi received as bribes from Samsung, 'Lausing' is currently believed to be kept by Samsung, so its value was excluded from the confiscation amount.

Former Blue House Policy Coordination Secretary Ahn Jong-beom, who was indicted alongside Choi, was sentenced to 4 years in prison, a fine of 20 million KRW, and confiscation of 19.9 million KRW. Ahn, who was released last March after his detention period expired, was re-arrested in court as a result of the prison sentence handed down on this day.

Lee Kyung-jae, the lawyer who defended Choi, said after the sentencing, "I expected the retrial after remand to accurately see and judge the substantive truth, but I have doubts whether there is a judge in the current judiciary who courageously raises the flag toward the truth," and added, "Instead of courageously focusing on the facts and following the law in the retrial after remand, they parasitized on the Supreme Court's prior ruling." Regarding whether to appeal again, he said, "We will decide after consulting with Choi."

Accordingly, among the key figures in the state affairs manipulation scandal, Choi's retrial after remand sentencing was the first to conclude. It is expected that it will take a little longer for former President Park Geun-hye and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to reach conclusions in their retrials after remand.

Former President Park, who is also on trial for the National Intelligence Service special activity funds bribery case added to the state affairs manipulation scandal, was originally scheduled for a closing argument last month, but it was postponed. Vice Chairman Lee is involved in ongoing debates over the standards for determining his sentence. The court handling Lee's retrial after remand has expressed its intention to consider the actual effectiveness of Samsung's Compliance Committee activities as part of 'restorative justice' and reflect this in sentencing.