Two Public Officials from Gwangsan-gu's Primary Treasury Involved in 'Black Deal' Sentenced to Imprisonment with Suspension

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Two current and former public officials and one district council member were found guilty of exerting influence and receiving bribes during the selection process of the No. 1 treasury in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

On the 19th, Judge Seong Jae-min of the Criminal Division 9 at Gwangju District Court sentenced Na Mo (54), a Gwangsan-gu public official indicted on charges including bribery, to one year in prison with a two-year probation and a fine of 200,000 won.

Former Gwangsan-gu Council Secretary-General Park Mo (63) was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation.

Gwangsan-gu Council member Bae Hong-seok was given an eight-month prison sentence and a 15 million won fine, both suspended.

They were tried on charges including receiving favors from Kookmin Bank during the treasury designation process in October 2018 and leaking the list of review committee members.

Although their credit ratings were low, they received unsecured loans worth tens of millions of won approved solely by the bank branch manager, and they arranged for the donation of home appliances worth several million won to senior citizen centers in their constituencies.

After the solicitation and bribery, the No. 1 treasury changed from Nonghyup to Kookmin Bank for the first time in 30 years. Following the court's invalidation of the designation and a re-selection process, Gwangju Bank was selected.

Judge Seong stated, "Although the list of review committee members should have been kept strictly confidential, its leakage undermined the public nature and fairness of the treasury designation," but added, "Considering that the benefits received were minor and there was no prior record of similar crimes, various circumstances were taken into account in sentencing."