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Lee Jong-ho Sentenced to Prison in Second Trial for Trial Lobbying | LegalPost

Lee Jong-ho Sentenced to Prison in Second Trial for Trial Lobbying

Former Black Pearl Invest CEO Lee Jong-ho received a prison sentence for accepting money under the guise of influencing judicial proceedings.

Published on 04/17/2026, 11:462 min readviews2

Lee Jong-ho Sentenced to Prison in Second Trial for Trial Lobbying

Parties → Lee Jong-ho Former Black Pearl Invest CEO → Seoul High Court Second-trial court → Timeline → ① Lee accepted money to influence a trial → ② First trial imposed 1 year 6 months and forfeiture of 79.1 million won → ③ Second trial considered the scope of the investigation → ④ Court found Lee guilty of trial lobbying and dismissed separate embezzlement charges → ⑤ Second-trial sentence was 1 year 2 months with forfeiture of 71.1 million won → Were the separate embezzlement charges within the special prosecutor's scope? → No. Those charges were dismissed as outside the scope; Lee was convicted of trial lobbying and sentenced to prison → Compare the two trial sentences and forfeiture amounts → Check the first- and second-trial terms and forfeitures → Distinguish the charges → Check which payment allegations led to conviction and which were dismissed → Review the legal warning → Check…

Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Trial Lobbying

Lee Jong-ho, the former CEO of Black Pearl Invest, has been sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison by the Seoul High Court. He was also ordered to pay a forfeiture of 71.1 million won. This case centers on accusations that Lee used his alleged ties to First Lady Kim Keon-hee to solicit favorable court rulings in exchange for money.

Breakdown of the Verdict

While the court maintained the prison sentence, it slightly reduced the term from the 1 year and 6 months given in the first trial. The key legal point in the second trial was the scope of the investigation.

Guilty: The court found Lee guilty of accepting money to influence the trial of a primary actor in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case.
Dismissed: Charges related to receiving money to settle a separate embezzlement case were dismissed because they were not directly linked to the First Lady or the stock manipulation case, meaning they fell outside the legal jurisdiction of the special prosecutor.

Legal Implications for Foreigners

In South Korea, the Attorney Act strictly prohibits individuals who are not licensed lawyers from receiving money to provide legal services or influence judicial outcomes.

Warning: Attempting to bribe court officials or paying "lobbyists" who claim they can influence a judge's decision is a serious criminal offense under Korean law, regardless of whether the promised result is achieved.

Case Timeline

| Stage | Sentence | Forfeiture Amount |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| First Trial | 1 year 6 months | 79.1 million won |
| Second Trial | 1 year 2 months | 71.1 million won |

This article was rewritten and translated by AI from the original source. Original source: hani.co.kr

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