A police officer who demanded a bribe, saying, "Give me some money for a dinner party," in exchange for leniency in a case has been sentenced to prison. The Changwon District Court on the 2nd sentenced a police officer in his 50s, Mr. A, to one year in prison and confiscated 1.35 million won. Mr. A was indicted on charges of demanding and receiving a bribe in exchange for exercising his influence as a public official. According to the ruling, Mr. A, who was in charge of investigating a case, asked the suspect's acquaintance, B, to meet at a restaurant on April 10, 2019. At the meeting, Mr. A said, "If you give me some money for a dinner party, I will take leniency into account when disposing of the case," and received 1.35 million won from B. The court ruled, "The crime of bribery by a public official is a serious crime that shakes the foundation of fair and impartial public service and undermines public trust." The court also said, "The defendant not only asked for money but also received it, which is not a case of just a simple solicitation, and the amount of money received is not small." The court added, "However, considering that the defendant has no previous record of crime and has reflected on his mistake, the sentence is determined as stated." Meanwhile, B, who gave the bribe, was sentenced to a fine of 2 million won for bribing a public official.
A 60-year-old Korean police officer received a 6-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 1 million won for requesting hospitality expenses and alcohol from a drunk-driving accident victim. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the officer's request for money and alcohol from a 60-year-old police officer violated the public's trust in the fairness of police work.
The officer allegedly asked the victim to bring cash and alcohol to the police station for a meal and to purchase a bottle of alcohol. The victim, who was involved in a drunk-driving accident, agreed to the officer's requests. The officer argued that the relationship was not related to the officer's job, but the court disagreed, stating that the officer's actions related to the investigation of the crime and were therefore inappropriate.
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