A suspended prison sentence was finalized for Seohee Construction Chairman Lee Bong-gwan, who gave expensive gifts to former President Yoon Suk-yeol's wife, Kim Keon-hee, and sought a favor to appoint his eldest son-in-law.
According to legal sources on the 6th, both Special Counsel Min Joong-ki's Kim Keon-hee probe team and Lee's side did not appeal by the deadline on the 3rd, finalizing the sentence of one year in prison with two years of probation handed down to Lee in the first trial.
Lee was indicted on charges of giving a total of 103.8 million won worth of jewelry—including a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, a Tiffany brooch, and Graff earrings—to Ms. Kim in 2022 while seeking the appointment of his eldest son-in-law, Park Sung-geun, as former chief of staff to the prime minister.
The 21st Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Cho Soon-pyo) on the 26th of last month sentenced Lee, who was indicted on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, to one year in prison, suspended for two years. The court said, "Over the course of three instances of exchanging valuables, Lee's intent to solicit progressed from an implicit stage to an explicit and concrete stage."
Robot-dog entrepreneur Seo Sung-bin, CEO of Drone Dome, who was indicted on charges of seeking business favors by giving Ms. Kim a Vacheron Constantin wristwatch worth 33.9 million won, also did not appeal. The special counsel did not appeal either, finalizing the sentence of 10 months in prison suspended for two years handed down to Seo in the first trial.
Pastor Choi Jae-young, who gave Ms. Kim a Dior bag worth 5.4 million won, also had his first-trial sentence of an 8 million won fine finalized as neither side appealed.
The special counsel team said right after the first-trial ruling, "An appropriate judgment that accords with the public's legal sentiment has been delivered."
Ms. Kim was sentenced to seven years in prison in the first trial in the same case and appealed. The first-trial court found her guilty of receiving expensive items along with personnel and influence-peddling solicitations. It also ordered the forfeiture of a painting by artist Lee Ufan, a Van Cleef necklace, a brooch, and other items, and the collection of 64.8 million won.