Heo Young-in, chairman of SPC Group, who is accused of being involved in urging Paris Baguette bakery workers to withdraw from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), was released on bail five months after being detained.
The Criminal Division 32 of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Cho Seung-woo) approved Heo's bail request on the 12th. The court set conditions for bail, including residence restrictions, a bail bond of 100 million won, and compliance with designated conditions.
The designated conditions include ▲ prohibition of committing the same or similar offenses as stated in the indictment ▲ obligation to attend trials ▲ prohibition of destroying evidence and direct or indirect contact or discussion with related parties of the case regarding the litigation through third parties ▲ prohibition of favorable or unfavorable personnel actions toward witnesses or parties involved in the case based on their testimonies ▲ prior notification of travel abroad or trips lasting more than three days.
Heo's attorney requested bail during the hearing on the 10th, stating, "The defendant is 75 years old and has been detained for over five months," and asked the court to consider the fact that he has no prior criminal record.
However, the prosecution countered, saying, "There is still a concern about evidence destruction," and questioned, "What measures will be taken against employees who give negative statements about the defendant, and whether employees concerned will testify truthfully out of fear."
Heo is accused of urging about 570 union members of the Paris Baguette branch of the KCTU's Hwaseom Food Union within SPC's subsidiary, PB Partners, to withdraw from the union between February 2021 and July 2022, as the union continued activities critical of management. Previously, Heo had also applied for bail in July, but the request was rejected once.
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