Hospital Employee Embezzles 500 Million Won in Public Funds to Send Star Balloons, Ultimately Caught

Court: "Due to the serious nature of the crime, imprisonment is unavoidable"

An employee who embezzled hundreds of millions of won from the hospital where they worked and then used the money to purchase 'Byeolpoongseon,' a donation currency for internet broadcast viewing, was sentenced to prison.

On the 8th, Judge Kim Ji-yeon of the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 6 announced that A (32), who was indicted on charges of embezzling a large amount of hospital funds, was sentenced to three years in prison.

A, who worked as a general affairs staff member at a hospital in Gwangju, was indicted for embezzling a total of approximately 490 million won from hospital funds over 31 occasions between 2022 and 2023.

A committed the crime by managing hospital funds, cashing gift certificates purchased for employee welfare, and embezzling cash payments from patients, among other methods. He used the embezzled funds to purchase 'Byeolpoongseon,' a donation currency to support broadcasters on the internet personal broadcasting platform AfreecaTV.

The court stated, "A betrayed his duty and trust by embezzling funds and consumed them as donations for broadcast viewing, which is a serious offense," adding, "Since he has made no effort to compensate for the damages, a prison sentence is inevitable."