Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulent Scheme Involving University Contract

A 66-year-old man, identified as A, has been sentenced to one year in prison for fraud after he deceived a representative of a hygiene management service company into giving him 200 million won (approximately $170,000) under false pretenses. A, who claimed to be the grandson of the founder of a prestigious private university in Seoul, approached the company’s representative, B, in November 2014. He promised that if B donated 200 million won, he would secure a contract for management services at the university, including security, cleaning, and parking management starting the following year.

The court, presided over by Judge Park Seok-geun at the Seoul Northern District Court, stated that A's actions were particularly egregious as he exploited his familial connection to the university's founder to misappropriate funds. The judge emphasized that A had no authority to grant such contracts, as the selection of service providers is managed by the university's finance team through a bidding process.

Additionally, the court noted A's criminal history, including a previous conviction for embezzling university funds while serving as the head of the planning and management department from 1996 to June 2000, for which he received a seven-year prison sentence. Since 2011, A has been embroiled in property disputes with his uncle, the current chairman of the university, and it was clarified that A had never been appointed as a family representative by the descendants of the university's founder, nor was he involved in the university's management.