The prosecution has sought a 3-year prison sentence for actress Hwang Jung-eum, who has been indicted on charges of embezzling 4.3 billion won of company funds.
According to the legal community on the 21st, the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office sought a 3-year prison sentence for Hwang Jung-eum during the sentencing hearing held by the 2nd Criminal Division of the Jeju District Court (Judge Lim Jae-nam), on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (embezzlement).
Hwang Jung-eum is accused of embezzling over 4.3 billion won of company money, including receiving 700 million won under the pretext of advance payments from a family corporation she owns 100% of, and investing it in cryptocurrency, as well as embezzling company funds until December 2022. It is reported that she invested 4.2 billion won of this amount in cryptocurrency.
The victimized planning company is Hunminjeongeum Entertainment, a family corporation in which Hwang Jung-eum holds 100% of the shares. It has been revealed that Hwang Jung-eum invested about 4.2 billion won of the embezzled amount in cryptocurrency.
Hwang Jung-eum admitted to all charges during the first trial in May.
Subsequently, on May 30 and June 5, Hwang Jung-eum announced through her agency that she had repaid all the embezzled funds. It is reported that she submitted the relevant documents to the Jeju District Court.
At that time, Hwang Jung-eum stated, “I established and operated an entertainment agency for my entertainment activities,” and “While I had the desire to grow the company, in 2021, I was advised by people around me to increase the company’s funds through coin investments, and I ended up jumping into cryptocurrency investments that I was not familiar with. Although it was company money, I think I made an immature judgment because it was profit earned from my activities.”
The sentencing hearing for Hwang Jung-eum will be held in September.
