Union Executive Receives Final Sentence
of Two Years in Prison for
Taking Kickbacks in Uniform Bidding
The Supreme Court has upheld a prison sentence for the former head of general affairs at the Kia labor union, who received over 140 million won in kickbacks in exchange for arranging the production of union uniforms. The former union team leader, who had been accused of conspiring in the scheme, was acquitted.
On October 23, the Supreme Court's Second Division (Presiding Justice Park Youngjae) dismissed the appeal filed by the former head of general affairs, who had been tried on charges including breach of duty, and confirmed the lower court's sentence of two years in prison and a forfeiture of 143.82 million won. While serving as the union's head of general affairs in August 2022, he was indicted for receiving approximately 143 million won in return for ensuring a company won the contract to produce 28,200 Kia union T-shirts. Despite knowing that the shirts could be produced at a unit price of 12,000 won, he manipulated the process so the contract would be awarded at 14,000 won per shirt, thereby causing financial loss to the union.
The trial court stated, "He exploited his position as head of general affairs to create a single-bidder structure in the bidding process and committed the crime by receiving paybacks," sentencing him to two years in prison. Both the appellate court and the Supreme Court upheld this decision. However, the former union team leader, who had introduced the supplier and provided the account to receive the money, was acquitted. The first trial had sentenced him to one year and three months in prison, suspended for three years, but the appellate court ruled, "There is no direct evidence that he conspired in the crime," and found him not guilty, a decision confirmed by the Supreme Court.
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