Supreme Court to Deliver Verdict on February 26 in the embezzlement case involving the older brother and sister-in-law of entertainer Park Soo-hong. The trial has drawn significant public attention as the sentence increased from the initial 2-year prison term in the first trial to 3 years and 6 months in the appeals court.
According to legal sources, the Supreme Court’s First Division has scheduled the final ruling for late February. The case involves charges of embezzlement and breach of trust under special economic crime laws.
The Allegations:
Between 2011 and 2021, the couple managed Park Soo-hong’s career and allegedly misappropriated billions of won from both company funds and Park’s personal accounts. The prosecution claims they diverted these funds for private use during their decade-long role as his exclusive management team.
First Trial Outcome:
The initial court found guilt only regarding approximately 2 billion won in corporate funds. However, charges related to roughly 1.6 billion won taken from Park’s four personal bank accounts (over 320 transactions) were dismissed. The brother received a 2-year sentence while the sister-in-law was acquitted.
Appeals Court Decision:
The appellate judges overturned the lower court’s ruling, significantly increasing the brother’s sentence to 3.5 years and ordering immediate detention. The sister-in-law received 18 months with a 2-year suspended sentence plus 120 hours of community service.
The appeals court stated that the defendants completely betrayed the trust placed in them as family members of a famous celebrity. They exploited the victim’s earnings—built on public affection and trust—to accumulate personal wealth, causing moral harm and ethical controversy throughout society.
The court noted that no meaningful efforts were made to compensate the victim, who continues to request severe punishment. Given the serious nature of the crimes and their consequences, the judges concluded that strict penalties were unavoidable.
Additionally, the sister-in-law faces separate charges for spreading false information about Park Soo-hong and his wife, resulting in a 12 million won fine in the first trial.