Former KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae was given a one year prison term, Wednesday, for his involvement in the company’s illegal hiring of the relatives of high-profile figures during his tenure.
Ruling likely to affect ongoing trial of LKP lawmaker
Former KT Chairman Lee Sukchae was given a one year prison term, Wednesday, for his involvement in the company’s illegal hiring of the relatives of high-profile figures during his tenure.
This ruling is likely to unfavorably affect the ongoing trial of opposition Liberty Korea Party lawmaker Kim Sung-tae, whose daughter allegedly landed a job at the telecom giant due to his connection with Lee.
Recognizing the charge of interference with business, the Seoul Southern District Court said the evidence showed Lee ordered the illegal hiring.
“The act of illegal hiring prevented fair competition. It certainly gave a sense of betrayal and frustration to numerous jobseekers who applied for positions at the company and expected a fair and transparent evaluation,” the court said in the ruling.
Lee had claimed that it was not “irregular” for a private firm to deviate from the result of the official recruitment process and thus he did not “obstruct business.”
But the court said recruitment plans are made through the company’s human resources department and so Lee interfered with the business of its staff.
“By hiring the specific applicants, the accused expected future benefits that could be gained through the high-profile figures’ influence. But it is beyond his discretion to use recruitment as a means of lobbying.”
Lee, who served as chief of the company between 2009 and 2013, and some other officials at the firm were indicted for obstruction of business for providing preferential treatment to 12 job applicants in the company’s two official recruitment sessions in 2012.
The former chairman ordered and approved the illegal hiring of 11 of the 12, including Kim’s daughter. He has been denied the charge, claiming he only delivered a list of the applicants to his subordinates but did not order them to hire the people.
However, Seo Yu-yeol, a former KT president who was also indicted for involvement in the scandal, testified at court hearings that he told Kim
Sang-hyo, a former KT executive in charge of personnel affairs, to hire those applicants upon Lee’s order, saying Lee’s secretary’s office had taken care of the former chairman’s “acquaintance list.”
Seo and Kim Sang-hyo were both sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years for obstruction of business.
Lee’s lawyers said they will appeal the decision.
The court’s decision is likely to affect the trial of Rep. Kim, who is accused of receiving a “bribe” in the form of a favor from the then KT chief.
Kim’s daughter, who was employed as a part-time worker at KT in 2011, became a regular worker after passing the recruitment process in 2012.
Prosecutors suspect Kim helped Lee in a National Assembly audit in 2012 and Lee in return helped Kim’s daughter obtain the job.