Prosecution Seeks Fine for Democratic Party's Yoon Geon-young over 'False Intern Registration' in Lawmaker's Office

The prosecution has requested the court to impose a fine on Yoon Geon-young, a 54-year-old member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is accused of falsely registering an intern in a National Assembly member's office.

Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is questioning at the Environment and Labor Committee's audit held at the National Assembly on the 17th of last month. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the 10th, at the sentencing hearing for Yoon's fraud charge held under the presiding of Chief Judge Noh Tae-heon of the Criminal Division 6 at Seoul Southern District Court, the prosecution demanded a fine of 5 million won for Yoon.

Yoon was summarily indicted with a fine of 3 million won along with former lawmaker Baek Won-woo on charges of falsely registering an accounting staff member, Mr. Kim, as an intern in Baek's National Assembly office while serving as the head of planning at the Future Development Research Institute (Miraeyeon) in 2011. The court issued a summary order imposing a fine of 5 million won on both, but Yoon appealed and requested a formal trial.

The prosecution stated, "Yoon denies the charges, claiming he was not involved in the intern recruitment process, but based on the statements of intern Kim to investigative agencies and account transaction records, the charges are sufficiently proven," adding, "The essence of the crime is that Yoon falsely registered the operating expenses of a private organization he personally managed as if they were payments to a National Assembly intern to the Secretariat, thereby embezzling public funds." They also pointed out his lack of remorse.

Yoon made his final statement, saying, "The only thing I did during the intern recruitment process was ask Kim, who was recommended by the member's office, if he was willing to work." His defense attorney also argued, "Yoon neither conspired nor deceived nor embezzled any funds," and requested, "Since there was no awareness, intention, or motive to commit fraud against the National Assembly, please acquit him."

The first trial verdict for Yoon is scheduled for the 20th of next month.