Supreme Court Upholds Sentences in SPC Group Bribery Case

The Supreme Court of South Korea has upheld prison sentences for a prosecutor and an executive from SPC Group involved in a bribery scandal. Prosecutor Kim (김모씨) was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 15 million won for leaking confidential investigation details regarding SPC Group. Additionally, he was ordered to return 443,820 won. SPC executive Baek (백모), who provided bribes in exchange for the information, received a sentence of one and a half years.

From September 2020 to June 2023, Kim, who was part of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office's Fair Trade Investigation Division, disclosed sensitive information about the investigation, including details about search warrants and internal reports, to Baek. In return, Baek allegedly provided Kim with gifts and benefits worth approximately 620,000 won, including gift certificates and golf outings.

Kim was involved in investigations concerning SPC Group Chairman Heo Young-in (허영인) related to allegations of embezzlement and violations of fair trade laws. Although Heo and others were previously indicted for allegedly transferring shares at undervalued prices to evade gift taxes, they were acquitted by the Supreme Court in December of last year.

Both the first and second trials found the two men guilty of most charges, recognizing 443,820 won of the total bribes as illegal. The appellate court noted that Kim's actions severely compromised the integrity and fairness of the investigation. It emphasized the need for strict punishment for Baek, who exploited Kim's public position for personal gain.

However, the court acquitted both men of violating personal information protection laws, stating that the information shared by Kim did not qualify as personal data obtained through his official duties.

Both the prosecutor and Baek appealed the decision, but the Supreme Court confirmed the lower court's ruling, stating there were no errors in judgment or misinterpretations of the law.