Prosecutors seek 14 years prison term for Shin

Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin heads to the Seoul High Court Wednesday. Prosecutors requested a 14 year prison sentence for Shin for his involvement in corruption and lucrative business deals. Yonhap

By Kim Hyun-bin

Prosecutors requested the Seoul High Court, Wednesday, sentence Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin to 14 years in prison and fine him 100 billion ($90 million) for corruption that led to a lucrative duty free license, which was approved by ousted President Park Geun-hye.

Along with Shin, prosecutors also requested a 10-year prison sentence for Lotte Group founder and Honorary Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho and a five-year sentence for Shin Dong-ju, former vice chairman of Lotte Holdings, for assisting in the alleged crime.

Since February, Shin has been behind bars after the Seoul Central District Court convicted him of bribing former President Park to earn the duty free license.

The head of the country's fifth-largest conglomerate was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for offering 7 billion won ($6.5 million) to the nonprofit K-Sports Foundation controlled by Park's friend Choi Soon-sil in exchange for the deal.

The prosecution said Shin had an exclusive meeting, March 14, 2016, with Park and K-Sports Foundation officials under Choi, in which Lotte paid the 7 billion won to the foundation. However, the money was give back last June, just before the prosecution conducted a search.

Lotte Group claims the “donation” was unrelated to the company's duty free business, but the court ruled that even though the money was given back, it was still a bribe.

The prosecution initially requested a four-year prison term, but the court sentenced him to two-and-a-half years in his first trial in February.

The appeal ruling is expected to be made in October.