'Leak of Gwangsan District Treasury Deliberation Committee Member List' Officials Receive Reduced Sentences in Second Trial

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Two current and former public officials who exerted influence and received bribes during the selection process of the No. 1 treasury in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, received reduced sentences in the appellate court.

The Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 3 (Chief Judge Kim Tae-ho) overturned the original sentence of 1 year imprisonment with 2 years probation and a fine of 200,000 KRW for A, a Grade 6 public official of Gwangsan-gu, who was indicted on charges including bribery in the appellate trial.

The court suspended the 1-year imprisonment sentence and imposed a fine of 15 million KRW.

For B, a former Grade 4 public official of Gwangsan-gu who was tried on charges including third-party bribery, the appellate court overturned the original sentence of 1 year imprisonment with 2 years probation and suspended the imprisonment sentence.

The appeal of former Gwangsan-gu council member Bae Hong-seok, who was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment and a fine of 15 million KRW in the first trial but whose sentence was suspended, was dismissed.

The court judged that "A and others received bribes and leaked the list of committee members, infringing on the public nature of the treasury designation process."

However, the court explained the sentencing reasons, stating, "They fully admitted their wrongdoing and showed remorse, the benefits received were relatively minor, and they appeared to have performed their duties as public officials relatively faithfully."

They were prosecuted for receiving conveniences from Kookmin Bank and leaking the committee member list during the treasury designation process in October 2018.

A leaked the committee member list to Nonghyup and Kookmin Bank the day before and on the day of the committee meeting and received small coffee mobile gift certificates.

B received convenience for a credit loan worth about 50 million KRW from Kookmin Bank under a family member’s name with low creditworthiness.

Council member Bae was investigated for receiving a designated deposit of 8 million KRW from the bank and donating home appliances to a local senior center in his constituency.

Bank employees were found to have contacted some committee members after the list leak, giving concert tickets and requesting favors.

Meanwhile, at that time, the No. 1 treasury operating institution in Gwangsan-gu changed from Nonghyup to Kookmin Bank, but a civil lawsuit filed by Nonghyup against Gwangsan-gu was ruled invalid. Subsequently, through a re-competition, Gwangju Bank was selected as the No. 1 treasury.