Yoon's jailed mother-in-law expected to undergo parole review next week

SEOUL, April 18 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's mother-in-law, who has been serving a one-year prison term for forgery, is expected to undergo a parole review by the justice ministry next week, sources said Thursday.

Choi Eun-soon, the 77-year-old mother of first lady Kim Keon Hee, is reportedly among the inmates to be considered for parole during the ministry's monthly parole review session slated for next Tuesday, according to legal sources.

Choi has been serving a one-year sentence at the Dongbu Detention Center in southeastern Seoul since an appellate court convicted her in July last year of forging a financial document used in a land purchase deal.

By law, incarcerated convicts become eligible for a parole review after serving at least one-third of their prison sentences. However, in practice, the justice ministry only subjects to parole review those who have served at least half of their prison sentences.

Once the parole review panel, chaired by the vice justice minister, makes its decisions on parole candidates in its monthly session, the justice minister gives his or her final confirmation on whether to approve the decisions.

If Choi is cleared for parole, she is expected to be discharged April 30.

Since her incarceration, Choi had applied for bail, seeking to stand trial without detention. The Supreme Court later dismissed her bail request and finalized her one-year prison sentence.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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