Ex-spy chief sentenced to two years in prison
By Kim Da-ye
Won Sei-hoon
The Seoul High Court sentenced former spy chief Won Sei-hoon Wednesday to two years in prison and a 160-million-won fine for taking bribes from a construction firm owner.
“He should have been more of a man of integrity and ethics than any others, but he was asked a favor and took it for personal gain. Instead of showing remorse, he tried to avoid responsibility and only came up with excuses,” the judge said in the ruling.
According to the ruling, Hwang Bo-yeon of Hwangbo Construction gave Won nearly 170 million won in cash and gifts including gold between 2009 and 2010 for influence-peddling.
Hwang asked Won to help Samsung Tesco ― now Homeplus ― contact the Korea Forest Service to win a contract. Homeplus was competing against Tesco’s Chinese operation to host a training facility, and needed the permission of the forest authority that owned the land on an island in Incheon.
After Samsung Tesco hosted the training facility, Hwangbo Construction was awarded several deals by Homeplus including the groundwork for the Tesco-Homeplus Academy.
Won has also been charged with violating the election law by directing the National Intelligent Service (NIS) to interfere in the 2012 presidential election. The ongoing trial is different from the kickback conviction.