Chairman of the National Port Workers' Union found not guilty in the first trial on charges of 'corruption in hiring of the port union'

Kim Sang-sik, chairman of the Korea Federation of Port Workers' Unions, who was put on trial on charges of receiving money or valuables in exchange for hiring while serving as chairman of the Busan Port Workers' Union, was acquitted in the first trial.

On the 11th, Chief Judge Kim Hyun-seok of the Busan District Court's Criminal Division 5 acquitted Chairman Kim, who was indicted on charges including breach of trust.

In 2017, while he was serving as chairman of the Busan Ports and Transport Workers' Union, Chairman Kim was handed over to trial on charges of receiving in return for some of the money and valuables that the union branch leader received in return for a job request.

At the time, Chairman Kim distributed the right to recommend employment at port commercial docks to union branch heads and others, and through this, it was found that he received employment recommendations from 156 union members.

During this process, it was revealed that some branch heads had received and pocketed recruitment money, and one of them stated that he had paid some of the money and valuables to Chairman Kim, leading to Chairman Kim being handed over to trial.

However, the court judged that it was difficult to trust the branch manager's statement that he gave money to Chairman Kim.

They cited the fact that the head of the branch in question had stated in the 2019 recruitment corruption trial that he had never paid anything of value to Chairman Kim, but later reversed his statement during the investigation.

The court declared him not guilty, saying, “There is no evidence to admit that Chairman Kim colluded with branch heads to receive recruitment solicitation money.”

However, two people, including the former branch leader, who were also brought to trial, were sentenced to one year in prison, two years probation, and six months in prison, respectively.