A Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) staff member has been sentenced to prison for embezzling 900 million won by purchasing corporate gift certificates and converting them into cash.

Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 13 sentenced a KAIST employee in their 30s, identified as A, to 3 years and 6 months in prison on charges of breach of trust and fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes.

A was put on trial for causing approximately 890 million won in losses to the institution between April 2022 and August of last year. During this period, A used corporate credit cards to purchase about 10.9 billion won worth of gift certificates across some 6,300 transactions and converted them into cash.

A is also accused of purchasing approximately 10 million won worth of gift certificates across 29 occasions during the same period and submitting false disbursement forms.

The court stated, "The defendant committed a breach of trust by acquiring financial gains amounting to 900 million won and inflicting the same amount of damage on the corporation," adding, "Considering the method, duration, and scale of the crime, the defendant's culpability is very heavy."

(Photo: Yonhap News)