Prosecutors Appeal for 13-Year Prison Sentence for Restaurant Owner Who Embezzled Neighbors' Money Over 15 Years

Fraud of 33.8 Billion KRW Against 16 People

A woman in her 60s accused of embezzling more than 30 billion won from an acquaintance was sentenced to 13 years in prison, prompting the prosecution to file an appeal.

On the 20th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office trial division (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Young-ju) announced that it had appealed the first trial verdict against A (66), who was indicted on charges of fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

The prosecution stated, "The defendant pretended to be a wealthy person with assets worth hundreds of billions of won and betrayed small business owners who had built trust, showing a serious nature of the crime. Nevertheless, the defendant showed no remorse, claiming there is no money to repay, and the damages have not been recovered," adding, "Considering that the victims want the defendant to be severely punished, we have filed an appeal."

Earlier, A was arrested and indicted on charges of deceiving 16 acquaintances by promising to repay large sums with high interest if they invested or lent money while running a restaurant in Mapo-gu, Seoul, for about 15 years since September 2008, embezzling approximately 33.8 billion won.

A claimed to be a wealthy person owning several real estate properties in Seoul, but investigations revealed that the actual income was limited to a few million won per month from restaurant sales. Most of the victims were women in their 50s to 60s, and it was confirmed that employees who worked at A's restaurant were also victims.