Park Soo-hong's brother, who was charged with embezzling tens of billions of won in appearance fees while managing the broadcaster, has been sentenced to prison and taken into custody during the appeals trial.
The 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court sentenced Mr. Park to 3 years and 6 months in prison on the 19th for embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. Additionally, his sister-in-law, Ms. Lee, who was also charged with involvement in the crime, received a sentence of 1 year in prison, suspended for 2 years, along with 120 hours of community service.
Mr. Park and his wife are accused of embezzling a total of 6.2 billion won from 2011 to 2021 while managing Park Soo-hong's affairs, including company funds from the entertainment planning companies Rael and Media Boom, as well as Park Soo-hong's personal funds.
In the previous first trial, the court acknowledged that Mr. Park embezzled about 2 billion won of company funds and sentenced him to 2 years in prison; however, it ruled him not guilty of embezzling Park Soo-hong's personal assets due to lack of evidence. Ms. Lee was also acquitted on the grounds that the conspiracy relationship was not clearly proven.
The prosecution pointed out during the appeals process that Mr. Park repeatedly embezzled large sums over a long period while attempting to conceal the use of the funds by falsely claiming they were used for Park Soo-hong. They also emphasized that no restitution had been made, and the responsibility was instead shifted onto the victim, Park Soo-hong, calling for severe punishment due to the nature of the crime.
In his final statement, Mr. Park acknowledged that all responsibility lies with him, but he appealed for leniency from the court, mentioning his family situation where he needs to support his elderly parents.
On the other hand, Park Soo-hong's legal representative emphasized that the victim has not only had his efforts of 30 years undermined by this crime but has also experienced the tragedy of severing family ties. They argued that strict legal punishment is necessary as the defendants have not shown sincere remorse or apology.
With this appeals ruling, Mr. Park received a heavier sentence than in the first trial and accepted the verdict while in custody. This case, which has drawn attention as a prominent legal dispute among families in the entertainment industry, has entered a new phase as the appeals court has seriously assessed the severity of the embezzlement.
