A former research planning head at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), an organization affiliated with the National Intelligence Service (NIS), who was indicted for embezzling institute funds, has had his prison sentence reduced to a suspended term on appeal.

The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 6-3 (Senior Judges Park Jung-je, Min Dal-ki, and Kim Jong-woo) recently sentenced Cho, identified by his surname, to three years in prison, suspended for four years, along with a fine of 1 million won on charges including aggravated embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes and violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

Cho was accused of misappropriating approximately 940 million won in research and development reserves and other INSS funds for personal use, such as credit card bills, entertainment expenses, and loan repayments, between December 2017 and May 2022.

He was also charged with providing about 43 million won in money and valuables to an administrative official at the National Security Office between January 2019 and February 2020, and violating the Political Funds Act by donating 3 million won to a lawmaker's support committee under another person's name.

Previously, the first instance court found most of the charges guilty and sentenced him to three years in prison and a fine of 1 million won.

While the appellate court upheld the lower court's findings of guilt, it accepted Cho's argument that the original sentence was too severe.

The court pointed out, "Considering the level of morality and integrity required of Cho, the amount of damage, and how the embezzled funds were used, the nature of the crime is grave."

However, the court explained the reasons for the sentence reduction, stating, "Cho has made efforts to restore the damage by returning over 1 billion won, has no prior criminal record before committing these offenses, and has fully admitted to his crimes and is reflecting on them as of the appellate proceedings."

This ruling was finalized on August 27.

Cho was also named as a beneficiary of preferential hiring allegations involving former National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, who was accused of preferentially hiring figures from former President Moon Jae-in's presidential election camp into an agency under the NIS.

Prosecutors investigated allegations that former Director Suh preferentially hired Cho as the INSS research planning head in 2017, but decided not to indict him in July 2024.

During the course of that investigation, Cho's separate embezzlement charges were uncovered, leading to his indictment.