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| Local journalists gather outside former President Lee Myung-bak's residence in Seoul after the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday. /Yonhap |
By Kim Se-jeong
The Supreme Court upheld Thursday an appeals court ruling that sentenced former President Lee Myung-bak to 17 years in prison for embezzlement and bribery, bringing his two-year court battle to a close.
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| Lee Myung-bak |
A statement from the judges read, "We do not find any fault in the lower court's ruling," Thursday.
The former president was indicted in 2018 on 16 counts, including embezzlement linked to an auto parts company, DAS, and receiving bribes from Samsung Electronics through the company.
A district court found him guilty of embezzling 34.9 billion won of DAS funds and taking 8.5 billion won in bribes and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
But, the appeals court handed down a sentence of 17 years in prison after discovering additional bribes and embezzlement.
On Thursday, local journalists gathered outside his Seoul residence where he's been staying for eight months. He's been out of jail since February after filing an injunction against the appeals court's decision to reject his bail request.
In a statement, former president said, "Korea's rule of law has collapsed. I am concerned about Korea's future. The Supreme Court was far from being fair and righteous. The truth will eventually come out."
The ruling was a blow to the 78-year-old who denied all the allegations, describing them as groundless. He claimed he had no connection with DAS and received no money from Samsung.
The embezzlement allegations initially surfaced in 2007 when he was a presidential candidate. As a president-elect, he was subject to a special investigation by prosecutors who failed to prove any wrongdoing.
At the end of 2017, the allegation surfaced again as civic groups filed for a criminal investigation into him. This time, the prosecution managed to collect key testimonies and other evidence against Lee and indicted him in February 2018.
Serving in office between 2008 and 2013, President Lee is remembered for the controversial redevelopment project of Korea's four major rivers. Lee supporters argue the project made a significant contribution to the Korean economy, while opponents claim Lee devastated the ecosystem of the rivers.
Outside Korea, he is remembered for his green growth slogan. He launched the Global Green Growth Institute in Seoul and heralded the river redevelopment project as an example of successful green growth initiatives.
With the court's ruling, Lee joined the list of disgraced Korean presidents. His successor, Park Geun-hye, was forced out of power during her presidency over corruption allegations and is currently serving a jail term. Former President Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were convicted of treason, mutiny and corruption in connection with the 1980 Gwangju Massacre. Lee's predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, killed himself during an investigation into corruption allegations against him.
