Court: "Lack of Law-Abidingness... Consideration Given to Expected Recovery Measures"
The court has handed down a suspended sentence to a woman in her seventies who fraudulently received basic livelihood benefits.
According to the legal community on June 17, Kim Soyeon, the presiding judge of the Criminal Division 7 of the Gwangju District Court, sentenced A (aged 71), who was indicted for violating the National Basic Living Security Act, to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. The court also ordered A to undergo probation and perform 160 hours of community service.
A was brought to trial on charges of illegally receiving a total of 54.22 million won in livelihood, housing, and medical benefits from January 2021 to November 2023, without reporting to the welfare authorities that she was living in a house provided by her common-law partner and receiving living expenses from her children. It was also confirmed that during this period, she registered and drove an Equus sedan, which she had purchased secondhand, under an acquaintance's name.
Judge Kim stated, "It is difficult to find a sense of law-abidingness in the defendant," but added, "Consideration was given to the fact that measures are expected to be taken to recover the fraudulently received amount."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
