Prosecutors: "Subsidy Received for Operating Labor Counseling Office Was Returned as Union Dues"
Former Chairman Jin: "Wages Were Used for Union Operations, Not for Other Purposes"
Jin Byungjun, the former chairman of the Korea Construction Industry Workers' Union, who is currently serving a prison sentence for embezzling 1 billion won in union funds and delivering illegal political funds, has been additionally indicted on charges of violating the Subsidy Management Act.
On the 5th, Judge Yoon Hyejeong, chief judge of the Cheonan Branch of the Daejeon District Court, held the first trial for Jin Byungjun and six others who were indicted on charges including violation of the Subsidy Management Act.
Jin and the others were brought to trial on charges of unlawfully receiving and using 108.8 million won in subsidies from the Ministry of Employment and Labor on 11 occasions between 2013 and 2016.
According to the prosecution, Jin Byungjun received subsidies intended for the operation of a construction labor counseling office to address union members' grievances, but returned the money to the union as union dues. Additionally, when his embezzlement was uncovered in 2022, he allegedly instructed employees to falsify IOUs and receipts.
Jin and the others have completely denied the charges.
They argued, "The labor counseling office was actually established and operated, and a counselor was hired and paid wages," adding, "Even if some of the wages were used as union operating expenses, it does not constitute use for an unauthorized purpose."
The court has decided to continue the trial on October 8.
Meanwhile, Jin Byungjun is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for embezzling 1 billion won in union funds, and last month was sentenced to an additional one year in prison for donating 18 million won of union funds to four members of the National Assembly.
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