Former National Intelligence Service 3rd Deputy Director Lee Jong-myeong Sentenced to 8 Months for 'Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun Background Investigation'

Lee Jong-myung, Former 3rd Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service / Photo by Jin-hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Lee Jong-myung, former 3rd Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), who was prosecuted for ordering illegal surveillance during the Lee Myung-bak administration, was sentenced to prison in the first trial.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 29 (Presiding Judge Changhyung Kim) on the 28th recognized some charges as guilty against Lee, who was indicted for loss of state funds under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and embezzlement in the course of duty, and sentenced him to 8 months in prison. The court pointed out, "The defendant used money that should have been paid into the national treasury under the instructions of former NIS Director Won Sei-hoon to track the slush funds of former President Kim Dae-jung and to repatriate a fugitive suspected of providing money to close aides of former President Roh Moo-hyun."

Lee was found guilty of using the budget for the so-called 'Davidson Project' and 'Salmon Project,' which confirmed rumors of misconduct by former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, under the instructions of then NIS Director Won Sei-hoon from 2011 to 2012. It was revealed that approximately 470 million KRW and 10,000 USD were used for the Davidson Project, and 85,000 USD of public funds were used for the Salmon Project.

However, he was acquitted of other charges, including ordering staff to follow Mrs. Kwon Yang-sook during her visit to China in September 2011 and the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon during his visit to Japan in February 2012 (abuse of authority and obstruction of rights under the National Intelligence Service Act). The court stated, "Based on the evidence submitted by the prosecution alone, it is difficult to consider that the defendant was in collusion beyond receiving reports that Mrs. Kwon and former Mayor Park were being followed."

He was also acquitted of charges related to conducting extensive surveillance against figures such as actor Moon Sung-geun, who led the opposition unity group and expressed dissent against the government at the time, due to lack of proven facts.