International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President Kim Un-yong of South Korea was sentenced to two years in jail by Seoul Appellate Court on September 17, reported South Korean national news agency Yonhap.

Kim Un-yong, 73, had received a two-and-a-half-year term from a Seoul trial court this June on conviction of receiving millions of dollars in bribes and embezzling public funds.

The higher court cited Kim's old age and deteriorating health conditions as part of reasons for reducing his jail sentence. Kim has been suffering from serious high blood since late last year.

"It is acknowledged that the defendant has devoted almost half of his lifetime for taekwondo and worked to make the sport an Olympic event," the court said in its ruling.

The court also ruled Kim to return all the 788 million won (680,000 US dollars) bribes he took from local sports officials. Kim also was found embezzling 3.8 billion won (3.3 million dollars) in public funds while heading various sports organizations.

Earlier this year, Kim resigned as lawmaker of South Korea as well as president of the World Taekwondo Federation and the South Korea Taekwondo Association.

Source: Xinhua