Jailed Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon-hee received 2.19 billion won in inmate funds, MP says

Former president Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee received a combined 2.19 billion won in inmate funds after being detained last year, Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sung-yoon (이성윤) said on October 8 at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Justice Ministry. According to the figures, Yoon received about 1.95 billion won between his re-arrest on July 10 last year and September 9, and Kim received about 240 million won after being detained on August 12 last year. The total is about eight times this year's presidential salary of about 270 million won. Korea Economic Daily reported that the figures came from material Lee's office received from the Justice Ministry. Kyunghyang Shinmun put the total at about 2.1 billion won in its headline and lead. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Lee said the deposits were a problem, and that prison officers were being used like personal secretaries to withdraw the money. He said the withdrawal process involves three steps and noted that staff shortages at correctional facilities had been raised throughout the day's audit. Lee also said many believe gift tax should be imposed on the funds; Yonhap reported he said the National Tax Service told him it had not been notified. He asked the ministry to report a way to tax the funds by the end of the comprehensive audit, which Kyunghyang Shinmun said falls on the 26th. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]

Committee chair Seo Young-kyo (서영교) of the Democratic Party asked why the correctional headquarters withdraws the money for him, saying that if Yoon received 2 billion won a year he would become worth 100 billion won under a life sentence. Kyunghyang Shinmun quoted her as asking who withdraws the money the day after it arrives. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Under the ministry's guidelines on stored money and goods, a correctional facility holds up to 4 million won per inmate, and amounts above that are deposited in an account opened in the inmate's name and paid out on release. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that inmates may spend up to 20,000 won a day on food and can also buy clothing, bedding, medicine and books. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]

Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-su (이진수), the vice minister, said large deposits do not fit the original purpose of the funds and that the ministry would actively review improvements. He said officers had handled transfers when inmates reached the limit, but that there are no specific standards on amounts or frequency. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]

Park Eun-jung (박은정) of the Rebuilding Korea Party (조국혁신당) said she had repeatedly asked the ministry to set rules blocking further deposits and withdrawals above the 4 million won limit. She said Kim's detention period ends on October 30 and that, if released, she could spend Yoon's funds. Lee Jin-su replied that amending lower-level regulations has limits and that the ministry would prepare measures if parliament provides a basis in the parent law, Newsis reported. [ 4 ]