Prison Guard Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Smuggling Hamburgers and Buldak Sauce to Inmate in Exchange for 70 Million Won

A correctional officer who secretly smuggled items like hamburgers and Buldak Bokkeummyeon (hot chicken flavor) sauce into a detention center after receiving tens of millions of won in cash, valuables, and entertainment from an inmate with a background in organized crime has been sentenced to prison in the first trial.

According to the legal community on the 7th, the 35th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Baek Dae-hyun) sentenced the correctional officer, surnamed Jeong, to 7 years in prison and a fine of 150 million won on the 24th of last month of last month on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of approximately 70 million won.

Inmate A, who provided the bribes to Jeong, was sentenced to 2 years in prison, while a lawyer who helped deliver the bribes on behalf of A was sentenced to 1 year in prison.

Jeong, who worked at the Seoul Detention Center, grew close to inmate A—a former organized crime member who was imprisoned around May 2021 on charges including joint injury under the Punishment of Violences, etc. Act and assigned to the housing unit Jeong managed.

Taking advantage of lax security screenings for correctional officers, Jeong smuggled outside foods such as hamburgers and hot chicken flavor sauce, as well as clothing, and handed them over to A.

An investigation revealed that in return, Jeong received a total of approximately 70 million won in cash, valuables, and entertainment over a period of 3 years and 7 months from October 2021 until May of last year, which included receiving shoes as gifts and having his hotel accommodation expenses paid for.

Jeong was also charged with leaking and delivering the personal information of another inmate upon A's request.

The court rebuked Jeong, stating, "Jeong actively demanded bribes from A and, in return, brought in the food and clothing that A wanted, thereby abandoning even the minimum sense of law-abiding consciousness required of a correctional officer."

The court further pointed out, "Such crimes have severely undermined social trust in not only the official duties of correctional officers but also the fairness and integrity of the criminal justice system as a whole."

Regarding inmate A, the court stated, "A has a history of multiple criminal convictions, including six prison sentences and two suspended sentences," adding, "Despite serving time in a detention center and needing to deeply reflect on himself, A violated laws and regulations."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.