Retirement benefits were paid in full to several senior officials from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration who are facing trial or being investigated for involvement in the botched 2024 martial law decree.
According to data from the Government Employees Pension Service obtained by OhmyNews on Wednesday from Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison for playing a key role in insurrection, received both his lump-sum retirement pension and allowance without any restrictions.
Other key figures implicated in insurrection-related cases were also found to have received full retirement benefits, including former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong and former Government Legislation Minister Lee Wan-kyu.
Former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung, who remains under investigation as a suspect but has not been indicted, likewise received his retirement pension and allowance in full.
Under the current Government Employees Pension Act, the payment of retirement benefits may be suspended if a recipient is undergoing criminal investigation or is on trial for charges that could result in imprisonment without labor or heavier penalties.
However, the pension agency said it is effectively required to proceed with payments unless relevant criminal records are formally confirmed at the time of application.
“The agency officially checks penalty-related information through investigative authorities such as the police and prosecution at the time retirement benefits are paid,” a pension service official said. “If no disqualifying record is found, benefits are paid as normal.”
The pension service added that if grounds for benefit restrictions are later confirmed, the agency may recover the payments with interest.
The agency also noted that if a prison sentence or heavier punishment is finalized for antistate crimes such as insurrection, retirement benefits and allowances are not paid.
In such cases, previously paid benefits are clawed back, and only the individual’s pension contributions and accrued interest are returned.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
