Appeals court suspends Lotte Group chief's jail term

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was released from jail on Friday after an appellate court suspended his sentence on bribery charges.

The Seoul High Court sentenced Shin, 63, to 2 1/2 years in prison, suspended for four years. Shin had been in a detention center since February over involvement in a corruption scandal that led to the ousting of former President Park Geun-hye last year.

The lower court sentenced him to 30 months in prison for giving 7 billion won (US$6.2 million) in bribes to a nonprofit foundation controlled by Choi Soon-sil, Park's old friend at the heart of the scandal, also now in jail.

The appeals court on Friday ruled in line with the lower court's judgment that the nation's fifth-largest conglomerate gave the money to win government blessing for its duty-free business.

But it ruled that Shin made the decision "passively" for fear that refusing Choi's request would hurt Lotte's interests. (Yonhap)