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A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced Kim Un-yong, suspended vice-president of International Olympic Committee (IOC), to two-and-a half years in prison and 788 million won in fines on embezzlement and other charges.

``Records show Kim embezzled at least 3.3 billion won in public funds and took 788 million won in bribes when he chaired the international sports organizations,’’ Kim Byung-woon, presiding judge of the Seoul Central District Court, said in a ruling.

``Kim also sent letters to IOC members during prosecution investigation, denouncing the South Korean prosecution of conducing ``politically motivated’’ probes. His wrongdoings cannot be taken lightly,’’ the judge said.

The court, however, said Kim deserves some leniency because of his contributions to promoting taekwondo throughout the world and his ill health.

With the ruling, the IOC is expected to take steps to deprive Kim of his post permanently. The world’s Olympics-governing body has suspended him from his duties as vice-president until a ruling by the South Korean court is made on his corruption charges.

Kim was indicted on May 13 for receiving some 810 million won in bribes and diverting 3.84 billion won in public funds for personal use.

In the letters his aides sent to IOC members worldwide earlier this year, he claimed the South Korean prosecution wrongly detained him, ignoring related procedures stated in the law.

Kim, a longtime IOC member and once the most powerful figure in the nation’s sports arena, misappropriated public funds from a number of sports organizations he chaired, such as the World Taekwondo Federation, ``Kukkiwon,’’ or the World Taekwondo Headquarters and the General Association of International Sports Federations.

From 1997 through 2002, he took 810 million won in bribes from South Korean sporting goods companies while he was serving as the head of the Korean Olympic Committee, according to the prosecution.

The news from the Korea Times