A customs official named Mr. Kim, who received a substantial amount of money in exchange for providing investigative convenience, was sentenced to nine years in prison and fined 600 million won, with an additional fine of 50 million won. He had accepted bribes to suppress a customs investigation related to illegal foreign currency transfers. The court found him guilty on all charges and emphasized that his actions undermined trust and required severe punishment. The report also highlights a broader issue of lax self-discipline and oversight within the Korea Customs Service, which has allowed corrupt practices to persist.
Sure, here are the key facts extracted from the provided text:
**Document 1:**
1. A customs official named Mr. Kim, head of the Incheon Customs Tax Bureau, was sentenced to nine years in prison for accepting a bribe.
2. Mr. Kim received 600 million won from Mr. A to suppress a customs investigation.
3. The court found Mr. Kim guilty on all charges and noted his lack of remorse.
4. Mr. A is separately arrested and indicted on charges of illegally transferring 4 trillion won worth of foreign currency overseas.
**Document 2:**
5. Kim Ban-jang used his sister's name to run an internet sales business, and Captain Kim is the president of the company.
6. Some luxury goods sold by the company were fake, despite being promoted as genuine.
7. Officials made money exchanging with importers and sold counterfeit products as real ones.
8. The Korea Customs Service did not investigate customs officials who provided convenience for customs clearance.
9. The customs officer's code of conduct prohibits private relationships with people related to the job and profit-making activities.
10. The Korea Customs Service faced criticism for lax self-discipline and disciplinary measures.
**Document 3:**
11. There are discussions in chat rooms about customs officials' confidence in avoiding investigations.
12. The authority to investigate smuggling and customs evasion may be rendered ineffective in certain cases.
13. The Korea Customs Service faced criticism for not properly handling internal disciplinary cases.
14. The Korea Customs Service was described as becoming insensitive to corruption and wrong practices.