Pretended to Be Unable to Walk Despite Recovery
Daejeon District Court Sentences to 3 Years and 6 Months in Prison
Court: "Serious Negative Impact on Public Pensions... Strict Punishment Needed"
A man in his 70s who suffered a lower body paralysis diagnosis after being injured at a construction site, but continued to pretend to be unable to walk and received a large sum in insurance benefits from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service for decades, has been sentenced to prison.
On May 23, Yonhap News reported that the 12th Criminal Division of the Daejeon District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Byungman) sentenced a man in his 70s, identified as A, to three years and six months in prison for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud) and other charges. Another individual in his 70s, identified as B, who lent his acquaintance's caregiver certificate to A and participated in fraudulently claiming insurance benefits under the pretense of caregiver expenses, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.
In March 1997, A fell at a construction site and was diagnosed with grade 1 severe care status due to complete paralysis of both legs. However, by November of the same year, his condition improved to the point where he could walk alone with a cane. Despite this, he continued to visit the hospital in a wheelchair and claimed to suffer from lower body paralysis, fraudulently receiving a total of approximately 1.84 billion won in insurance benefits from June 1999 to August of last year. Investigations found that, using this method, A received more than 1.2 billion won in excess of the insurance benefits he was actually eligible for.
A and B are also accused of using another person's caregiver certificate to make it appear as if a caregiver was providing care for A, thereby fraudulently receiving caregiver expense insurance benefits. B borrowed caregiver certificates from four acquaintances. The total amount of insurance benefits they fraudulently received under the pretense of caregiver expenses from 2014 to 2024 was calculated to be 159 million won.
The court stated, "Although A suffered an industrial accident and partially recovered, he still faces significant restrictions in daily life and appears to have difficulty maintaining a livelihood. It does not seem that he initially intended to actively deceive the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, but rather continued the crime by taking advantage of lax management by the agency." The court continued, "However, the crime was committed over a very long period, the amount of damage is extremely large at 1.8 billion won, and strict punishment is necessary to prevent the recurrence of crimes that have a significant negative impact on public pensions." The court added, "However, considering A's health condition and the fact that the defendants cooperated sincerely during the investigation and trial, it is difficult to conclude that there is a risk of flight, so the defendants will not be taken into custody in court."
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