4 years ago
Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was sentenced by Supreme Court on Thursday to 17 years in prison on bribery and corruption charges.
Lee, a conservative leader who served as president from 2008 to 2013, was released on bail pending a decision. Lee, who is awaiting a verdict, was accused of financial irregularities through his confidante. If the president does not commute the sentence, he is unlikely to have the option of awaiting death in prison.
All four former South Korean presidents have been jailed or sentenced to prison as a result of frequent scrutiny by successors of political rivals. Lee was first convicted at the end of 2018 on corruption charges and sentenced to prison.
The court found him guilty of irregularities amounting to 25.2 billion Korean won and a bribe of 9.4 billion won, and sentenced him to 17 years in prison. Lee's successor, Park Geun-hye, has also been sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of abuse of power and accepting bribes.
