Prosecutors demand prison sentences for Yoo`s eldest son and aides

Prosecutors gave jail sentence to former Semo Group Chairman Yoo Byung-eon`s aides including his eldest son Yoo Dae-kyun and actress Jeon Yang-ja.

At the final trial on Wednesday, the Incheon District Court demanded a four-year sentence to Yoo Dae-gyun, who was indicted for embezzlement of some 7 billion won (6.2 million U.S. dollars) and breach of duty. For closing arguments, Yoo lowered his head in front of the judge panel, prosecutors and the audience gallery, saying, "I apologize to everyone." His attorney said, "Yoo feels deeply responsible for having been the cause of the Sewol tragedy and wants to apologize to the victims. He wants to return property under his name to be used for the victims."

Jeon, who was given one year in prison, asked for favorable arrangements, saying, "This is the first experience in my life. I have lived all my life as a public figure. I`m not pretending that I didn`t know. I really didn`t know. I`m in poor health, and my 97-year-old mother has a sever cardiac problem." Park Su-kyung, who had hidden at an officetel in Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province with the junior Yoo helping him escape, was given eight months in jail with two years of probation. Park said with tears, "I deeply regret for having evoked problems. I plead for penalty sentence so I can become professor that I have longed dreamed of." If she gets jail sentence or a more severe punishment, she can`t be eligible for a professor position. Park`s lawyer said, "She wanted to get out of the hiding place for the sake of his children but was rejected. She lived in a virtual jail since she couldn`t even turn on the light."

Prosecutors also demanded jail sentence ranging from one year to over four years on other aides including Dapanda CEO Song Kook-bin, I-One-I Holdings auditor Park Seung-il, Cheonhaeji CEO Byeon Ki-choon, Hemato Centric Life Research Institute CEO Oh Kyung-seok, Ahae CEO Lee Jae-young and former Ahae CEO Lee Kang-se.