(LEAD) Former DB Group chief gets suspended sentence over sex offenses

(ATTN: UPDATES with release and more details in last 5 paras)

SEOUL, April 17 (Yonhap) -- A former South Korean conglomerate chairman was given a suspended prison sentence Friday for sexually assaulting two women.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim Jun-ki, former chairman of DB Group, to an imprisonment of 2 1/2 years, suspended for four years, after finding him guilty of raping his housemaid and sexually assaulting his secretary.

It also ordered the 75-year-old Kim to undergo 40 hours of sex offender treatment and barred him from employment at child, youth and disabled welfare facilities for five years.

Kim is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a housemaid in his vacation home between February 2016 and January 2017 and of sexually assaulting his personal secretary between February and July 2017.

Kim left for the United States in July 2017 to receive medical treatment.

He resigned as DB chairman two months later after news media reported suspicions of his sexual offenses.

Kim returned home last October and was immediately arrested after police revoked his passport, put him on an Interpol wanted list and sought his extradition from the U.S.

DB, formerly Dongbu Group, is the nation's 43rd-largest conglomerate, with businesses ranging from construction and steel to finance.

Following the suspended sentence, Kim was released after about six months of detention.

Prosecutors had demanded an imprisonment of five years in the previous hearing.

Kim mostly admitted his charges but insisted that he had maintained a close relationship with his victims, like lovers.

The Seoul court said statements from Kim's victims are credible, and there doesn't seem to be any motive for them to make false testimonies or accusations against Kim.

The court also said it considered forgiveness from the victims and Kim's admission of most charges in determining his sentence.

ycm@yna.co.kr
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