"Choi Soon-sil, Thought to Be in Prison, Was Released"...Belatedly Revealed

Jung Yura Appeals Suspension of Sentence Execution for Her Mother
"Prosecution Suggested Keeping the Suspension Quiet"

It was belatedly revealed that Choi Seowon (formerly Choi Soon-sil), a key figure in former President Park Geun-hye's state corruption scandal, was released in March after being granted a suspension of sentence execution.

On May 5, Park Younghoon, former Strategic Nomination Management Committee member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on his social networking service (SNS), "I thought Choi Soon-sil was still in prison, but she was actually released in March on a suspension of sentence execution," adding, "There hasn't been a single news report about it, so I had no idea."

Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), a key figure in the former President Park Geun-hye's state corruption scandal. Photo by Yonhap News

Choi's daughter, Jung Yura, also disclosed the suspension of sentence execution for Choi via her Facebook page on April 28. At that time, Jung said, "My mother applied for a suspension of sentence execution because her herniated disc worsened, and she has been receiving hospital treatment for over a month," requesting support for medical expenses.

Jung explained, "I am supporting three children and my mother as the head of the household, but I decided that her health had to come first, so I pushed for the suspension of sentence execution and she underwent surgery," adding, "She also needs shoulder surgery and we had even scheduled the operation, but we were notified that the extension was denied."

Suspension of sentence execution is a system that allows the temporary halt of a prison sentence, with the prosecutor's permission, when the execution of the sentence could seriously worsen the prisoner's health or threaten their life. However, since there have been cases where influential figures in society abused this system to avoid serving their remaining sentences, the authorities strictly review medical opinions and diagnoses before approving any extension.

In Choi's case, it appears that she applied for an extension as the suspension period was about to expire after her surgery, but the request was denied. Jung stated, "My mother cried saying she was in so much pain, and while I held back tears in front of her, I broke down and cried after leaving. The prosecution suggested we keep the suspension of sentence execution quiet, and I covered the hospital bills myself." She also said, "My mother is 70 years old, and after dozens of applications, the suspension of sentence execution was finally granted. Now, she faces being sent back to prison without even being able to rehabilitate. Previously, she also had to serve her sentence without rehabilitation after surgery, which led to a recurrence of her condition."

A partial receipt of medical bills for Choi Seowon, disclosed by her daughter Jung Yuri. It shows a total patient charge of about 40 million KRW for treatments received from March 17 to April 28. Jung's Facebook

According to the medical bill statement disclosed by Jung, Choi received hospital treatment for about a month, from March 17 to April 28. It appears that this treatment took place during the suspension of sentence execution period.

Choi Seowon was first arrested on November 3, 2016, for her involvement in the Park Geun-hye administration's state corruption scandal. In June 2020, she was sentenced to 18 years in prison, a fine of 20 billion KRW, and a forfeiture of approximately 6.3 billion KRW for charges including abuse of authority, violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), and obstruction of business. The sentence was finalized and she had been serving her term at Cheongju Women's Correctional Institution. In December 2022, she was temporarily released after being granted a suspension of sentence execution due to worsening shoulder lesions and the need for rehabilitation after spinal surgery. Subsequently, the suspension period was extended three times in January, March, and April 2023.