Court Acquits Older Sister of Key Lime Scandal Figure Kim Bong-hyun on Aiding Escape Charges

The older sister of Kim Bong-hyun, former chairman of Star Mobility and a key figure in the Lime asset management scandal, has been found not guilty in the first trial on charges of helping him plan his escape.

Judge Seo Ji-won of Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Southern District Court acquitted Kim, surnamed Kim, who was indicted on charges including attempted aiding of a detainee's escape and instigating the concealment of a criminal.

The court stated, "It is difficult to view the evidence submitted by the prosecutors alone as sufficient to prove that the defendant had the awareness or intent to assist former Chairman Kim's escape."

Kim's legal team has denied the charges, arguing that while she helped former Chairman Kim with phone calls or delivered money, she was unaware that these actions were intended to facilitate an escape.

Kim was put on trial for helping former Chairman Kim evade authorities, such as by passing on investigation updates she heard from an accomplice after he cut off his electronic tracking bracelet and fled in November 2022 while out on bail.

She was also accused of delivering escape funds to a third party in June 2023 in accordance with an jailbreak plan devised by former Chairman Kim while he was detained at the Seoul Southern Detention Center.

Previously, former Chairman Kim, identified as a central figure in the Lime redemption scandal, failed to attend his pre-trial detention hearing after prosecutors requested an arrest warrant in 2019, remaining on the run for five months before being captured.

After being indicted while in custody and subsequently released on bail, former Chairman Kim fled again in November 2022 on the day of his first-trial sentencing hearing, only to be recaptured by prosecutors 48 days later.

He reportedly planned further escape attempts while his second trial was underway—either while heading to court or appearing for prosecution questioning—but all attempts were uncovered and thwarted.

Former Chairman Kim is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence, accompanied by a forfeiture order of 76.9 billion won, after being convicted in December 2023 of embezzlement and other charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

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