[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), a key figure involved in the state affairs manipulation scandal as an unofficial power during the Park Geun-hye administration, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the retrial after remand, has filed an appeal again.
According to the court on the 18th, Choi's lawyer submitted a notice of appeal the day before to the Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Oh Seok-jun, Baek Seung-yeop, Jo Gi-yeol), which handled the retrial after remand. Accordingly, the final decision regarding Choi will be made by the Supreme Court.
Choi was indicted 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 more than 50 large corporations to contribute to the Mir and K-Sports Foundations. In the second trial, Choi was sentenced to 20 years in prison, fined 20 billion won, and ordered to pay approximately 7 billion won in fines, but the Supreme Court's full bench ruled in August last year that some of Choi's coercion charges should be acquitted and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.
The retrial after remand, reflecting the Supreme Court full bench's judgment, reduced the sentence to 18 years in prison, a fine of 20 billion won, and a confiscation of 6.3 billion won.
Former Blue House Policy Coordination Secretary Ahn Jong-beom, who was indicted together with Choi and sentenced to 4 years in prison in the retrial after remand, also submitted a notice of appeal on the same day.
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