Hwang Jung-eum, an actress who rose to fame as part of the musical group Sugar, stands accused of misappropriating around 4.3 billion won from company finances. As a result, the prosecution is seeking a prison term of three years for her actions.

The legal community reported on the 21st that the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office proposed a 3-year imprisonment for Hwang during the conclusive hearing. This session, presided over by Judge Lim Jae-nam of the Jeju District Court's Criminal Division 2, dealt with her violation of laws pertaining to the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, particularly embezzlement.

Hwang is accused of diverting approximately 4.34 billion won from company resources. This includes around 700 million won that was borrowed by Hunminjeongeum Entertainment, which she subsequently invested in cryptocurrency, masquerading as advance payments in early 2022.

Reports suggest that of the embezzled sum, she allocated about 4.2 billion won toward cryptocurrency investments, while the rest was utilized to cover property and local tax obligations, as well as other unspecified expenses.

This situation involves a company that is entirely owned by Hwang, making it a family-run enterprise where she is the sole artist under its management. This indicates that her actions directly impacted her own business interests.

Hwang has confessed to the charges and has reportedly returned the funds taken under the pretense of advance payments from Hunminjeongeum Entertainment by June 5. She has provided relevant documentation to the Jeju District Court to support this claim.

Her defense has appealed for mercy, arguing that Hwang's intent was to enhance the company's growth and that she acted without proper knowledge of accounting and procedural norms. They maintain that since no other individuals were harmed and the full amount has been reimbursed, leniency should be considered.

Hwang is scheduled to be sentenced on the 25th of the next month, with proceedings set to begin at 10 a.m.