An appeals court in Seoul reduces former special counsel Park Young-soo’s prison sentence by one year to six years in a bribery case. The Seoul High Court also fines Park 200 million won and orders him to forfeit 200 million won, concluding he received the amount from a private developer as campaign funds related to Park’s bid to become head of the Korean Bar Association.
The court says the payment is tied to discussions about the Daejang-dong property project in Seongnam, south of Seoul. It characterizes the exchange as transactional, noting the developer asked Park—who previously chaired Woori Bank’s board—to have the bank join talks on a consortium for the project. While a lower court sentenced Park to seven years after finding he accepted 300 million won, the appeals court finds he accepted only 200 million won, citing inconsistencies in the developer’s testimony about the remainder.
Both outlets report that the appellate ruling upholds the lower court’s acquittal and dismissal of other allegations, including claims connected to a so-called “5 billion-won club.”
