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Choi Soon-sil is led away from the Seoul Central District Court after being given a 20 year prison sentence for her role in a bribery and government corruption case which led to the impeachment of former president Park Geun-hye. (Photo Pool) 　

Choi Soon-sil, the figure at the heart of a government interference scandal which led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, 66, received a 20-year sentence in her first trial. The verdict also hinted at a heavy sentence ahead for Park, who is being tried by the same court.

“Chief responsibility for the government interference lies with the President who neglected the duties assigned to her by the Constitution and delegated the status and authority invested in her by the public to unelected individuals, and to the defendant, who took advantage of this to monopolize government functions and pursue private interests,” the court ruled.

Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin 63, was taken into court custody after being sentenced to two years and six months for offering 7 billion won (US$6.4 million) in bribes – a fate that stands in contrast with that of Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, 50, who was freed last week with a suspended sentence.

Hon. Judge Kim Se-yoon of Seoul Central District Court’s 22nd criminal division sentenced Choi, 62, to 20 years in prison, 18 billion won (US$16.6 million) in fines, and 7.3 billion won (US$6.71 million) in penalties on Feb. 13 on charges that included bribe acceptance according to the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes for conspiring with Park to accept 7.3 billion won provided by Lee.

The court doubled the amount of bribe money recognized, with the verdict including not only the 3.6 billion won (US$3.34 million) in equestrian support payments to Core Sports recognized as bribe offering in Lee’s appellate trial but also 3.7 billion (US$3.37 million) in additional payments for the purchasing of three horses.

But the appellate court in Lee’s case ruled to acquit him in connection with 20.4 billion won (US$18.8 million) in funds paid by to the Mir and K-Sports Foundations and 1.6 billion won (US$1.5 million) in support to the Korea Winter Sports Elite Center, concluding there had been “no improper requests” concerning Samsung’s management succession.

In addition to the bribery charges, the court also ruled to convict on charges related to coerced funding for the Mir and K-Sports Foundations – the point of origin for the government interference scandal.

“The criminal actions and government interference by the defendant Choi Soon-sil led to the impeachment and ouster [of a sitting South Korean President] for the first time in the history of Constitutional government,” the court said.

Explaining its harsh sentence, the court said Choi had “shown no sign of remorse, persisting in incomprehensible excuses despite the great severity of the crimes.”

Choi was further convicted on bribery charges in connection with conspiring with Park to coerce Shin into providing 7 billion won to the K-Sports Foundation and demanding 8.9 billion won (US$8.2 million) in payments to Widec Sports from SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, 58. Following the ruling, Shin – who had been indicted on charges of bribe offering for 7 billion provided to Park in connection with implicit requests concerning special World Tower duty-free shop approval – was sentenced by the court to 30 months in prison and 7 billion won in fines and taken into court custody.

“If leniency were to be granted simply on the grounds that the President’s request came first, then corporations are unlikely to avoid succumbing the temptation to choose bribe offering, which carries some risk but has direct effects, over working to establish the proficiency to succeed in competition,” the court said of Shin.

This contrasts with the court in Lee Jae-yong’s appellate trial, which sentenced him to 30 months in prison but freed him with a suspended sentence on the grounds that he had been “coerced” by Park.

Meanwhile, former Blue House Senior Secretary to the President for Policy Coordination Ahn Jong-beom, 59, was sentenced to six years in prison, 100 million won (US$92,000) in fines, and 42.9 million won (US$39,500) in penalties and had two luxury handbags confiscated after being convicted of accepting 49.49 million won (US$45,500) worth of bribes – including the bags and cosmetic surgery – from Y. Jacobs Medical Center president Park Chae-yoon and her husband in violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes.

In December, the prosecutors and team of special prosecutor Park Yong-soo requested sentences of 25 years in prison for Choi, four years for Shin, and six years for Ahn.

By Kim Min-kyung and Hyun So-eun, staff reporters

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