Overview
- South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a two-year prison sentence for Cho Hyun-bum for embezzlement and breach of trust, making the ruling final.
- Judges recognized about 2 billion won in criminal liability, well below the 20.8 billion won prosecutors said he misused.
- The convictions center on personal use of company resources, including about 580 million won in corporate-card spending, moving and furniture costs, a chauffeur for his wife, and private use of company cars.
- Courts cleared Cho on major transaction allegations, including inflated tire-mold purchases tied to about 887.5 billion won and a separate 5 billion won loan accusation that the appeals court overturned.
- The case started with charges in 2023, included bail later that year and a 2025 rearrest after a three-year district court sentence, and concluded with a two-year term on appeal now confirmed.