The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Hanwha chief's son receives suspended prison sentence in assault case

By KH디지털2

Published : March 8, 2017 - 10:55

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A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced the youngest son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn to eight months in prison suspended for two years for assaulting bar employees and resisting arrest while under the influence of alcohol.

The Seoul Central District Court found Kim Dong-seon, 27, guilty of assaulting employees at a bar in southern Seoul and damaging a police car that was carrying him to a local police station for interrogation on Jan. 5. The court ordered Kim to carry out 80 hours of community service.

Kim Dong-seon, the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Feb. 22, 2017, to attend a hearing on charges of assaulting two bar employees and damaging a patrol car while being escorted to a police station the previous month. (Yonhap) Kim Dong-seon, the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Feb. 22, 2017, to attend a hearing on charges of assaulting two bar employees and damaging a patrol car while being escorted to a police station the previous month. (Yonhap)

During the first hearing held last month, the younger Kim admitted to all charges leveled against him, including violence, obstruction of business and destruction of public assets.

"I deeply regret what I have done and feel sorry for the victims," Kim earlier said during the trial. "I will make sure it won't happen again."

The court said it gave a suspended sentence to Kim, as he deeply repented for his behaviors and has no records of prior crimes.

"Usually, this kind of case is punished with a simple penalty.
But our society demands stricter social responsibility from the privileged class, including conglomerate owner families," Judge Lee Jong-woo said.

Kim was a gold medalist at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games' group equestrian event and worked at the construction unit of the country's eighth-largest business group until the court issued a warrant to formally arrest him in January.

Crimes involving conglomerate owners and their families are often subject to intense public criticism in South Korea. (Yonhap)