Lee Myung-bak Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison, Fined 13 Billion Won Confirmed... Possible Reincarceration as Early as Today (Comprehensive)

Supreme Court: "No Error in Original Verdict"
Defense: "Rushed Decision Ignoring Constitution" Protests

Summoned by Central District Prosecutors' Office, Then Sentence Executed
Possibility of Execution Delay Due to Health Reasons

Ongoing Presidential Ordeals
All Living Former Presidents Face Legal Judgment

On the 29th, former President Lee Myung-bak was sentenced to 17 years in prison by the Supreme Court.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Baek Kyunghwan and Cho Seongpil] The Supreme Court has confirmed a 17-year prison sentence for former President Lee Myung-bak, who was indicted on charges of embezzling company funds and accepting large bribes from Samsung and others. Lee, who turns 80 this year in South Korea, will have to serve his sentence until the age of 96, excluding the previous detention period.

The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Park Sang-ok) on the morning of the 29th upheld the lower court's ruling sentencing former President Lee to 17 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion KRW, and a confiscation of 5.78 billion KRW on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The Supreme Court stated, "There is no error in the lower court's conclusion regarding the recognition of facts related to embezzlement or bribery."

Former President Lee was tried on charges of embezzling approximately 34.9 billion KRW of company funds from the auto parts company DAS and receiving a total of 16.3 billion KRW in bribes, including 11.9 billion KRW in litigation costs for DAS in the U.S. paid by Samsung Electronics. Earlier, the first trial court found Lee to be the actual owner of DAS and convicted him of embezzlement amounting to about 24.6 billion KRW. It also recognized bribery charges amounting to about 8.5 billion KRW, sentencing Lee to 15 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion KRW, and confiscation of about 8.2 billion KRW. In the appeal trial in February, the amount of recognized bribery increased to 9.4 billion KRW, resulting in a sentence of 17 years in prison, a fine of 13 billion KRW, and confiscation of about 5.78 billion KRW.

Lee's appeal against the appellate court's decision to revoke his bail was also dismissed. The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Ahn Cheol-sang), which reviewed the case, ruled, "Even if an appeal is filed against the appellate court's decision to revoke bail following a prison sentence, the effect of suspending execution by immediate appeal cannot be recognized." Earlier, after the appellate court revoked his bail in February, Lee filed an appeal and obtained a stay of execution.

On the 29th, the day of the Supreme Court verdict for former President Lee Myung-bak, who was prosecuted on charges of embezzling company funds and accepting large bribes from Samsung and others, reporters gathered in front of his residence in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Former President Lee, who was out on bail, did not appear at the Supreme Court on the day of the ruling but received the verdict at his residence in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul. With the sentence confirmed, he will undergo the process of re-incarceration. According to the guidelines for handling the execution of sentences for those with confirmed prison terms, once summoned, he must appear at the prosecution office to verify his identity and health status before being transferred to prison.

The execution of Lee's sentence will be handled by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. A prosecutor's office official stated, "The specific timing and location of the execution have not yet been decided." If the prosecution issues a summons on the day and Lee quickly completes his personal arrangements, he could be re-incarcerated today. A variable factor is if Lee's side requests a delay in execution due to health reasons. In such a case, a postponement of up to three days is possible. To postpone the appearance, Lee's side must submit supporting documents such as a medical certificate proving the reason for the delay.

After the Supreme Court ruling, Lee's legal team protested, calling it a "hasty trial that disregards the spirit of the Constitution." Lee's attorney Kang Hoon said, "Despite all the evidence presented by the prosecution, there is no content showing that bribery or requests were directly delivered to former President Lee, yet the Supreme Court confirmed the appellate court's ruling. This is not normal," expressing a "deeply disheartening" sentiment.

Meanwhile, among former presidents, Lee is the fourth whose conviction has been confirmed, following former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, and Park Geun-hye. Among them, former President Park was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the retrial of the state affairs manipulation case and the National Intelligence Service special activity funds bribery case. The prosecution filed a petition for a retrial, claiming legal errors in the acquittal parts, but Park's long-term imprisonment has already been confirmed.