Appellate court upholds 3-year jail sentence for first lady's cousin

SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Yonhap) -- An appellate court affirmed Friday a three-year jail
sentence for a cousin of South Korea's first lady convicted of taking bribes in
exchange for a spot in parliamentary elections and promises of employment at
state-run firms.
The Seoul High Court upheld the lower court's ruling last October, which noted
that 74-year-old Kim Ok-hee's crime needed to be "punished heavily as people's
distrust and frustration were deep."
The defendant, first lady Kim Yoon-ok's cousin, was arrested in August of 2008 on
charges of taking over 3 billion won (US$2.26 million) from the head of the Seoul
Metropolitan Bus Transportation Union, Kim Jong-won, in exchange for him being
put on the ruling Grand National Party's ticket in April parliamentary elections.
The appellate court sentenced the head of the bus union to 2 years in prison for
offering the bribes.
Kim Jong-won had demanded the money be returned after he was overlooked for the
candidacy.
The defendant, meanwhile, also used her relationship with the president to obtain
200 million won from three former employees of state-run businesses with promises
of jobs, the prosecution said.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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