Jeong Chan-woo, former Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, who is accused of intervening in Hana Bank personnel matters after receiving a personnel recommendation from Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), the ‘shadow power’ of the Park Geun-hye administration, was given a suspended sentence with a fine in the first trial.
Jeong Chan-woo, former Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the morning of the 26th, Judge Lee Yong-je of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 13 handed down a suspended sentence with a fine of 7 million won to former Vice Chairman Jeong, who was indicted on charges of coercion and obstruction of business. A suspended sentence means that although guilt is recognized, the sentencing is postponed, and if no other crimes are committed during a certain period, no sentence is imposed.
The judge stated, “Considering that the defendant admitted all charges, the degree of contribution and role in the crime, the relationship with accomplices, his remorse expressed in court, and the fact that he has no prior criminal record, this sentence is given.”
Previously, former Vice Chairman Jeong was brought to trial on charges of intervening in Hana Bank personnel matters in collusion with Choi, former President Park Geun-hye, and former Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs Ahn Jong-beom.
Organizations such as the Financial Justice Solidarity and People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy reported former Vice Chairman Jeong to the prosecution in June 2017 on charges including abuse of authority, obstruction of business, and coercion. The prosecution filed a summary indictment against Jeong in December 2021 on charges of coercion and obstruction of business, but the court did not issue a summary order and referred the case to a formal trial in April of the following year on its own authority.
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