By You Soo-sun
A confidant of ousted President Park Geun-hye who was found guilty of abusing her close ties with Park to solicit academic favors for her daughter had her three-year prison sentence upheld Tuesday.
The Seoul High Court approved a lower court verdict delivered in late June against Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime friend and secret adviser, who is on trial on charges of having played a central role in the major corruption scandal that led to the impeachment and later arrest of Park.
Among the numerous corruption charges Choi faces, one was for using her influence to get her 21-year-old daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, enrolled in Ewha Womans University with the help of university officials, including the school's president at that time.
Chung was admitted to the university as an equestrian in 2015 over other candidates with better credentials, according to an investigation by the Ministry of Education.
She continued to get favors there, including good grades for classes she didn't attend and assignments that were never turned in.
The Seoul High Court also upheld the lower court's verdict on former university President Choi Kyung-hee and former dean Kim Kyoung-sook, who were both given two-year sentences for conspiring to help Chung; and Namkung Gon, another school official, who was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison.
Three faculty members, including Rhu Cheol-kyun and Lee In-seong, received suspended prison terms, and two others were fined.
The court's ruling stated, "The offenders in the case ignored law and procedure as well as principles and rules, thereby undermining the public's trust and faith in fairness and justice."
It continued, "As a parent, (Choi) taught her daughter to use power rather than to abide by the rules: As educators, while speaking of fairness and justice to their students, they readily accepted corruption and bent the rules. They not only failed themselves but also the future of their children and betrayed their students' trust and the Korean citizens' trust in fairness."
Choi is also accused of extorting billions of won (millions of dollars) from big conglomerates including Samsung for her personal use.
A confidant of ousted President Park Geun-hye who was found guilty of abusing her close ties with Park to solicit academic favors for her daughter had her three-year prison sentence upheld Tuesday.
The Seoul High Court approved a lower court verdict delivered in late June against Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime friend and secret adviser, who is on trial on charges of having played a central role in the major corruption scandal that led to the impeachment and later arrest of Park.
Among the numerous corruption charges Choi faces, one was for using her influence to get her 21-year-old daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, enrolled in Ewha Womans University with the help of university officials, including the school's president at that time.
Chung was admitted to the university as an equestrian in 2015 over other candidates with better credentials, according to an investigation by the Ministry of Education.
She continued to get favors there, including good grades for classes she didn't attend and assignments that were never turned in.
The Seoul High Court also upheld the lower court's verdict on former university President Choi Kyung-hee and former dean Kim Kyoung-sook, who were both given two-year sentences for conspiring to help Chung; and Namkung Gon, another school official, who was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison.
Three faculty members, including Rhu Cheol-kyun and Lee In-seong, received suspended prison terms, and two others were fined.
The court's ruling stated, "The offenders in the case ignored law and procedure as well as principles and rules, thereby undermining the public's trust and faith in fairness and justice."
It continued, "As a parent, (Choi) taught her daughter to use power rather than to abide by the rules: As educators, while speaking of fairness and justice to their students, they readily accepted corruption and bent the rules. They not only failed themselves but also the future of their children and betrayed their students' trust and the Korean citizens' trust in fairness."
Choi is also accused of extorting billions of won (millions of dollars) from big conglomerates including Samsung for her personal use.
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