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| S Korea tycoon jailed for assault | S Korea tycoon jailed for assault |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| One of South Korea's richest businessmen, Kim Seung-youn, has been jailed for 18 months for abducting and assaulting workers in a karaoke bar. | One of South Korea's richest businessmen, Kim Seung-youn, has been jailed for 18 months for abducting and assaulting workers in a karaoke bar. |
| Kim, 55, chairman of the Hanwha Group, was convicted of attacking the men with the aid of his bodyguards, after they had a scuffle with his 22-year-old son. Kim admitted responsibility for much of the violence, but said his bodyguards took over when he "got tired". | |
| Correspondents say the case generated intense public interest in South Korea. | Correspondents say the case generated intense public interest in South Korea. |
| Heads of family-controlled business conglomerates, like Kim Seung-youn, wield great economic, political and social power in the country. | Heads of family-controlled business conglomerates, like Kim Seung-youn, wield great economic, political and social power in the country. |
| Passing sentence at Seoul District Court, the judge, Kim Chul-hwan, said the Hanwha chief had used his position to take revenge on the workers, carrying out the attacks in a "systematic manner". | Passing sentence at Seoul District Court, the judge, Kim Chul-hwan, said the Hanwha chief had used his position to take revenge on the workers, carrying out the attacks in a "systematic manner". |
| "The violation of the law is big and is serious," said the judge. | "The violation of the law is big and is serious," said the judge. |
| During the trial, prosecutors had told the court that this was a revenge attack after a bar incident involving his son, Kim Dong-won, a Yale University student, who was reported to have needed stitches for an eye injury sustained in an incident in a Seoul karaoke club. | During the trial, prosecutors had told the court that this was a revenge attack after a bar incident involving his son, Kim Dong-won, a Yale University student, who was reported to have needed stitches for an eye injury sustained in an incident in a Seoul karaoke club. |
| In the attacks which followed, staff in the karaoke club said they had been kicked, punched and attacked with a steel pipe and stun gun. | In the attacks which followed, staff in the karaoke club said they had been kicked, punched and attacked with a steel pipe and stun gun. |
| They also say they had been forcibly taken to be attacked at a construction site in a mountainous area near the capital. | They also say they had been forcibly taken to be attacked at a construction site in a mountainous area near the capital. |
| "I ordered my bodyguards to take over because I got tired of beating them myself," Kim said in evidence at the trial. | "I ordered my bodyguards to take over because I got tired of beating them myself," Kim said in evidence at the trial. |
| Hanwha was formed in 1952, and has interests in petrochemicals, finance, insurance, construction and retail. | Hanwha was formed in 1952, and has interests in petrochemicals, finance, insurance, construction and retail. |