Former Attorney's Suspended Sentence Finalized for Helping 'Geonjin Beopsa' Receive Payments for Favors

Found guilty of mediation-related bribery; sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years
Supreme Court: "Lower court was right to find him liable as a co-principal"

A suspended prison sentence has been finalized for attorney Mr. Kim, who was indicted on charges of involvement in political broker and “shaman” Jeon Seongbae’s receipt of payments in exchange for favors.

Jeon Seongbae, known as Geonjin Beopsa and identified as a conduit for various requests to Ms. Kim Geonhee, enters the office of the special prosecutor team led by Min Joongki at KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 18th. 2025.08.18 Photo by Yoon Dongju

The Supreme Court’s Second Division, with Justice Oh Kyung-mi presiding, on October 30 upheld the lower court’s ruling sentencing Mr. Kim to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and ordering him to pay 55.63 million won in additional collections. He was indicted on charges of mediation-related bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

Mr. Kim was indicted on charges of conspiring with Jeon and taking part in receiving more than 167 million won from a content company in exchange for favors and mediation involving public officials. Investigators found that he signed a legal advisory contract with the company and received 6.6 million won a month, then used part of the money to cover Jeon’s car lease payments and officetel rent.

The first-trial court found him guilty of both mediation-related bribery and violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, sentencing him to one year and six months in prison.

The appellate court, however, dismissed the charge of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, ruling that it was outside the scope of the investigation by the special counsel team investigating Kim Geonhee. It found him guilty only of mediation-related bribery and sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay 55.63 million won in additional collections. The ruling on the Attorney-at-Law Act charge became final after the special counsel team did not appeal.

The Supreme Court also upheld the lower court’s finding that Mr. Kim knew mediation had taken place and had conspired with Jeon in taking part in receiving payments. It dismissed Mr. Kim’s appeal, finding no error in the lower court’s legal reasoning on recognizing joint principal liability or calculating the amount to be collected.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.