Final Trial for Broadcaster Park Suhong's Elder Brother and His Wife
Prosecution: "Defendants Show Poor Attitude Toward the Victim"
Park Suhong's Elder Brother: "No Sibling Left to Care for Our Parents"
Park Jin-hong, the elder brother of broadcaster Park Suhong, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial for embezzling tens of billions of won from his brother's agency funds and other sources, pleaded for leniency during his appeal, after prosecutors requested a seven-year prison term.
On November 12, prosecutors requested this sentence during the final hearing for Park's embezzlement charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, held at the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jaegwon). For his wife, who was indicted alongside him, prosecutors sought a three-year prison term. In the first trial, prosecutors had also requested seven years for Park and three years for his wife.
Prosecutors stated, "Despite repeatedly embezzling large sums of money over an extended period, Park falsely claimed he used the funds for Park Suhong and concealed how the money was spent, resulting in no restitution for the victim." They added, "The defendant's conduct is problematic, as he has damaged Park Suhong's reputation as a celebrity and continues to blame the victim instead of taking responsibility."
The defense for Park and his wife acknowledged, "While we cannot deny Park's embezzlement in the course of his work, most of the funds were delivered to the complainant (Park Suhong), and repayment has been delayed due to the complainant's provisional seizure. We ask the court to consider these circumstances and show leniency."
In his final statement, Park said, "I know I must take full responsibility, but there are no siblings left to care for our elderly parents," and added, "This incident has caused unbearable hardship for the entire family." Fighting back tears, he pleaded, "I ask for your mercy."
Park Suhong's legal representative, who attended the hearing, was given a chance to speak and stated, "Because of the defendants' crimes, Park Suhong's 30 years of hard-earned youth have been denied, and his ties with his parents and siblings have been severed." The representative continued, "He was only able to experience the ordinary happiness of marrying someone he loves and having a child after turning 50. Unless the defendants fully admit their wrongdoing and sincerely apologize to Park Suhong, we ask the court to impose the maximum penalty."
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