Elderly Woman in Her 90s Receives Suspended Sentence for Giving 100 Million Won Check to District Official as 'Token of Appreciation'

[Financial News] A woman in her 90s who handed an envelope containing a 100 million won check to a district office official has received a suspended prison sentence.
According to legal sources on the 9th, the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 13 (Judge Kim Sung-eun) sentenced Ms. A, who was indicted on charges of bribery and violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, to one year and six months in prison, suspended for two years. The court also ordered the forfeiture of 100 million won.
Ms. A was brought to trial on charges of handing an envelope containing 100 million won to a district office official, seeking to influence administrative decisions regarding building repairs and reinforcement work.
Ms. A, as CEO of B Co., Ltd., is engaged in real estate leasing. She was involved in a serious dispute with the management association, including Mr. C (who owns 50.77%), over how to allocate building maintenance fees for a property in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, in which her company holds a 47.7% share. In July 2020, the building was designated by the district office as a Type 3 facility requiring safety management, leading to further disputes over how to proceed with repairs and reinforcement.
To ensure the repairs and reinforcement would proceed according to her wishes, Ms. A filed two civil complaints last year with Mr. D, the district office official in charge, urging administrative action. As a result, the district office responded that the building management association was ordered to establish a separate plan for repairs and reinforcement, and that failure to comply would result in prosecution or other administrative measures in accordance with relevant laws.
It was found that, upon receiving this response, Ms. A decided to secretly provide money to Mr. D both as an expression of gratitude and to request stronger administrative measures against the management association in the future.
Accordingly, in January last year, Ms. A had a company employee meet Mr. D in the district office and discuss the civil complaint regarding the building’s repairs and reinforcement. The employee handed Mr. D a pre-prepared white envelope, stating, 'The CEO asked me to deliver this to you.'
The letter, addressed to Mr. D, stated, 'Mr. C took about 5 billion won, promising to carry out 14 types of structural reinforcement work, but has not kept the promise even after five years. I am very grateful that you said you would order a business suspension if the reinforcement is not done. Enclosed is a check for 100 million won, which I hope you will use in about five years.' It was also found that the envelope contained a cashier’s check for 100 million won, issued without the knowledge of the employee who delivered it.
The court stated, 'Such conduct undermines the integrity of public service and erodes public trust in the fairness of official duties, making the defendant’s culpability significant.' However, the court also considered in Ms. A’s favor that she admitted to the crime, showed remorse, and had no prior convictions for similar offenses.
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yoo-ha Reporter