'Daejang-dong Corruption Convicts' Dong-gyu Yu and Min Yong Jung Appeal Immediately After First Trial Verdict

[Financial News] Dong-gyu Yu, former Head of Planning Division at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation (SDC), and attorney Min Yong Jung, both convicted in the 'Daejang-dong development corruption scandal,' have filed appeals.
According to the legal community on the 3rd, Yu and Jung submitted their notices of appeal to the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 22, presided over by Cho Hyung-woo, immediately after the first trial verdict on the 31st of last month.
The first-instance court sentenced Yu to eight years in prison and Jung to six years for charges including breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. Citing concerns over destruction of evidence, the court ordered both to be taken into custody in court. Prosecutors had sought seven years for Yu and five years for Jung, but the court imposed harsher sentences than requested.
The court determined that their relationship was one of collusion involving monetary exchanges, and that private business operators received preferential treatment by being preselected as project implementers.
Attorney Jung, recommended by Nam Wook—the attorney who initiated the Daejang-dong project—worked as head of the investment business team in SDC’s Strategic Business Office, and, under Yu’s direction, conspired with private operators to commit the crimes. The court considered the drafting of project guidelines reflecting their requests and the receipt of bribes as factors in the heavy sentences.
With Yu and Jung having filed appeals, attention is now on whether other key suspects, including Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, will also appeal.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter