South Korea’s Lee Myung-bak jailed for 15 years for bribery
The corruption charges stem from a probe of his brother’s automotive parts company, through which Lee embezzled about $31m
Seoul — A South Korean court has sentenced former president Lee Myung-bak to 15 years in jail for taking bribes from Korean conglomerates while in office, becoming the country’s fourth head of state to be convicted on corruption charges in as many decades. The sentence handed down by a panel of three judges at the Seoul central district court was more lenient than the 20 years sought by prosecutors who charged Lee with bribery, abuse of power and embezzlement. Lee, who has denied the charges, can appeal to a higher court. Lee was president of Asia’s fourth-largest economy from 2008 to 2013. His conviction follows that of former president Park Geun-hye, who was impeached last year and in April was sentenced to 24 years in jail after being found guilty of bribery, abuse of power and leaking of state secrets. Former heads of state Chun Doo-hwan, president from 1980 to 1988, and Roh Tae-woo, president from 1988 to 1993 respectively, were also convicted of corruption, among other charges...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.