The Korea Herald on Oct. 20, 2011 reprinted a Yonhap News article titled "Orion Group chairman sentenced to prison over slush funds." In the article, Yonhap News reported that Hong Song-won, head of Gallery Seomi, was sentenced to a suspended two-and-a-half-year jail term for helping Orion Chairman Tam Cheol-gon stash the funds by purchasing artworks.
The Korea Herald clarifies hereby that the article contained an inaccuracy. Although Hong was given a suspended two-and-a-half-year sentence for inaccurate accounting issues, the Seoul District Court ruled against the prosecutor's claim that she stashed slush funds for the Orion Group, thereby unequivocally acquitting Hong and Gallery Seomi on these claims.
