Broadcaster Park Soo-hong has continuously worked for over 30 years since his debut, but the shocking fact remains that he has only around 30 million won left in his bank account. On the other hand, there is growing public outrage due to the court's mention that Park Soo-hong's older brother and his wife have significantly increased their assets by owning four real estate properties.
On the 13th, the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court held the sixth appeal trial for Park Soo-hong's older brother, Mr. Park, and his sister-in-law, Ms. Lee, who were indicted on charges of embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, and requested explanations regarding the asset formation process of both parties.
Previously, the older brother and his wife were indicted for allegedly embezzling over 6.2 billion won in total, including his appearance fees and company funds for about 10 years while participating in Park Soo-hong's entertainment activities. In the first trial, only the embezzlement of about 2 billion won in company funds was found guilty, and the charge of using Park Soo-hong's personal account for private purposes was judged not guilty, resulting in a two-year prison sentence for Mr. Park and an acquittal for his sister-in-law. Both parties have appealed.
On this day, the court noted, "There are many points that are not understandable regarding the asset formation of Park Soo-hong and Mr. Park's couple," adding, "While Park Soo-hong has no notable real estate or financial assets besides a 50% equity stake in the Magok commercial property, it appears that Mr. Park's couple has significantly increased their assets by acquiring four real estate properties and subscribing to various insurance policies."
Park Soo-hong's confession was even more devastating. He stated, "I had to cancel my insurance because I didn't have money to cover the deposit for the jeonse, but I only had 33.8 million won left in my bank account," and remarked, "It was so devastating that I wanted to die." He further appealed, "Despite producing 100% of the sales in the company operated by my brother, he received a higher salary than I did."
The court asked, "If most of the revenue source was Park Soo-hong, why did his older brother and sister-in-law rapidly increase their assets while Park Soo-hong had nothing?" and demanded both sides explain whether the management of the personal accounts was indeed legitimate and whether it had a clear purpose.
In particular, Park Soo-hong is a first-generation entertainer who has steadily been active since his debut in 1991 and is one of the national MCs who has brought laughter to the public through numerous broadcasts, commercials, and events. The fact that he has lived without a single asset in his own name has come as a shock and a source of sadness for many.
Meanwhile, sister-in-law Ms. Lee was also indicted last year on charges of defaming Park Soo-hong and his wife and was sentenced to a fine of 12 million won. The appeal trial is currently ongoing, and the court plans to continue future rulings after reviewing additional materials submitted by both parties.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]