Actor Hwang Jung-eum, who was indicted on charges of embezzling about 4.3 billion won in company funds, was sentenced to a suspended prison term.
The Jeju District Court Criminal Division 2 (Im Jae-nam, Director General presiding) on the morning of the 25th sentenced Hwang Jung-eum, who was tried on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (embezzlement), to two years in prison with a four-year suspension.
Earlier, Hwang Jung-eum is accused of embezzling about 4.2 billion won in funds from Hunminjeongeum Entertainment in 2022. Hunminjeongeum Entertainment is a family company in which Hwang Jung-eum owns 100% equity, and the only affiliated entertainer is Hwang Jung-eum.
She is accused of embezzling about 4.3 billion won from the agency she is the actual owner of. In July 2022, she borrowed 80 million won in the agency's name, then transferred 70 million won that was in the agency's account to her personal account under the name of temporary payments and invested it in cryptocurrency. Later, in the same manner through a total of 13 transactions until October, she invested about 4.2 billion won of the 4.36 billion won in company funds in cryptocurrency. In addition, it is known that she paid card bills of 4.44 million won and stock loan interest of 1 million won, imposed on her to pay property tax and local government tax, using embezzled funds.
In this regard, Hwang Jung-eum admitted all the facts in the indictment during the trial, and said that the amounts taken from Hunminjeongeum Entertainment in the form of temporary payments were fully repaid in two installments on May 30 and June 5.
At the hearing, the court explained the reasons for sentencing, saying, "The defendant's guilt is not light because the losses were largely used for speculative investments and the purchase of expensive personal items," and "considering that the victim company is a one-person company owned by the defendant so losses are limited to the defendant, that the embezzled amount has been fully repaid, and that this is the defendant's first offense."
Hwang Jung-eum, who shed tears during the sentencing, still showed tears as she left the courtroom. Meeting reporters after, she said briefly, "I am sorry for causing concern. I had never even been near a police station, so I cried when I heard the sentencing result."
Hwang Jung-eum's defense counsel also added, "We respect the court's decision."
After the fact that Hwang Jung-eum embezzled 4.3 billion won became known, she issued an official statement through the company, saying, "At a time when I wanted to grow the company, around 2021 I was encouraged by people around me to try to increase company funds through coin investments, and I jumped into coin investments I did not know well. Although the funds were in the company's name, because they were earnings from my activities, I made an immature judgment," she bowed her head.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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