Choi Eun-soon, Yoon's Mother-in-Law, Faces Allegations of VIP Treatment at Detention Center

Allegations that Choi Eun-soon, the mother-in-law of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, received special treatment at the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center are fueling concerns about fairness in the treatment of inmates.

OhmyNews reported that the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center unusually created a special management plan for Choi Eun-soon, typically reserved for former and current presidents. Choi was sentenced to one year in prison on July 21, 2023, in her appeal trial, and the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in November of the same year.

According to the report, just three days after Choi Eun-soon was sentenced to one year in prison, the Dongbu Detention Center designated her as an 'inmate of interest' and a 'socially controversial offender,' drafting a special management plan. These plans are typically created to support inmates' lives within correctional facilities, considering their individual characteristics, and to prevent problems. However, the allegation of VIP treatment, akin to that given to a former president, has sparked controversy.

Choi Eun-soon was indicted on charges of forging bank balance certificates totaling 34.9 billion won in the process of illegally buying real estate under borrowed names. This case caused significant social repercussions, and Choi was found guilty in both the first trial and the appeal trial. The Supreme Court also upheld the original ruling, sentencing her to one year in prison.

Jang Kyung-tae, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed that the Dongbu Detention Center cited 'social interest' and 'media coverage' as reasons for creating Choi's special management plan. This suggests that special treatment was provided in consideration of the high level of public interest in Choi. However, critics argue that such special treatment is unfair to other inmates.

It has been revealed that the Dongbu Detention Center established separate management plans and policies for Choi's exercise, bathing, counseling, medical care, and visits. This indicates that Choi may have received more conveniences than ordinary inmates. In particular, there are allegations that her exercise and bathing times were adjusted to minimize contact with other inmates.

Furthermore, it has been confirmed that access to Choi's detention unit and contact with her was prohibited for staff other than those directly responsible for her management. While this can be interpreted as a measure to protect Choi's privacy, it has also been criticized as discriminatory treatment compared to ordinary inmates.

In addition, the Dongbu Detention Center designated the head of the women's affairs team as the counseling manager and included measures to promote a stable prison life through regular counseling and guidance. While this appears to be a measure to help Choi's psychological stability, questions are being raised about whether the same level of counseling services is provided to ordinary inmates.

The Ministry of Justice has stated that it does not separately prepare or maintain special management plans for inmates with social influence. This suggests that the creation of Choi's special management plan was an unusual case.

Meanwhile, the controversy is growing even further as it has been revealed that Choi made a total of 25 outings during her 11-month imprisonment. According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice to Democratic Party of Korea Representative Choo Mi-ae, Choi made 25 outings from July 24, 2023, to May 14, 2024, when she was released on parole after being legally detained. This is an unimaginable number of outings for ordinary inmates and is further fueling allegations that Choi received special treatment during her imprisonment.

In response to Representative Choo's question asking whether the external outings during Choi's imprisonment were due to witness appearances, visits to judicial institutions, or education and training, the Ministry of Justice replied that "the inmate in question did not attend court or the prosecution, nor did she receive education or training during her imprisonment." The Ministry of Justice's response is amplifying suspicions about the purpose of Choi's outings. Typically, inmates' external outings are only allowed for strict reasons, but there is a lack of clear explanation as to why Choi was able to make frequent outings.

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration's Ministry of Justice held a parole review committee on May 8, 2024, and decided to release Choi, and parole was executed on May 14 of the same month. Choi was released on parole without serving her full one-year sentence. Parole is a benefit given to inmates who have had a exemplary prison life, but in Choi's case, considering that she caused social controversy and that allegations of special treatment were raised during her imprisonment, questions may be raised about the appropriateness of the parole decision.

In particular, on the day of Choi's parole, it was reported that the police mobilized about 150 members of three riot police squads to escort Choi. This has been criticized as excessive security that is different from ordinary paroles. The police's excessive security is further intensifying the controversy over special treatment for Choi and is causing public outrage.

In this regard, the Ministry of Justice has stated a general position that "inmate management is being carried out strictly in accordance with the law and regulations." However, allegations of special treatment for Choi continue to persist, and a clear explanation is needed. The Ministry of Justice should thoroughly investigate the related allegations and transparently disclose the results. It is currently known that the Ministry of Justice is conducting an internal audit into the related allegations.