Unjustly Imprisoned with 'Spy Stigma'... 3-Year Sentence in Retrial After 50 Years

'Unification Revolution Party Reconstruction Case' and 'GPS Spy Case' Victims
Filed Retrial for 'Unification Revolution Party Reconstruction Case' After 'GPS Spy Case' Acquittal
Sentence Reduced from Life Imprisonment to 3 Years in Retrial... "Will Fight for Complete Acquittal" Supreme Court Appeal

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"In an era where power surpasses the law, my life has been completely destroyed. (Omitted) I ask the judges to thoroughly review the case and relieve the deep resentment in my heart." (Defendant)

An octogenarian who was sentenced to life imprisonment and unjustly imprisoned for 18 years in the 1970s for the 'Reconstruction of the Unified Revolutionary Party' case has had his sentence reduced to three years in prison after a retrial 50 years later.

According to the court on the 8th, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 1-3 (Presiding Judge Shim Dam) recently overturned the original life sentence and sentenced Mr. Lee (84, male), who was indicted for violating the National Security Act and the Anti-Communism Act, to three years in prison in the retrial.

Previously, Mr. Lee was arrested and indicted at the age of 34 on 12 charges related to the 'Reconstruction of the Unified Revolutionary Party' case, including maintaining contact with anti-state organizations for over six years since 1967, providing convenience, and engaging in activities praising and encouraging Kim Il-sung. He was sentenced to death in the first trial in 1972, then to life imprisonment on appeal, and was released on parole in his 50s.

During the retrial, Mr. Lee's side appealed, stating, "I was forced to write a lengthy handwritten statement as the investigation agency wanted, unable to withstand torture during the investigation." He also recounted, "At dawn when two men came to my house, they suddenly bowed deeply, so I bowed back, and when I raised my head, a gun was pointed at my head."

He continued, "I was beaten with a club after being taken to the investigation agency, my lower body was soaked in blood, and I lost consciousness. I was tortured by having water poured on my face covered with a towel, and the process of being forced to write statements was repeated at night." He also claimed that he did not know the identity of the people who kidnapped him, and the police who conducted the torture investigation entered the courtroom at that time, preventing him from receiving a proper trial.

The defense attorney stated in the retrial court, "The defendant's life has lost all direction. The wrongs committed by the state against an individual must be corrected regardless of any reason," emphasizing, "This is the defendant's last chance to recover from the memories of violence inflicted by the state, with an uncertain amount of life remaining."

The retrial court judged most charges as not guilty, stating "lack of evidentiary power," confirming that Mr. Lee was investigated while illegally detained and arrested by the investigation agency.

Nevertheless, Mr. Lee was not completely acquitted. Charges such as delivering Kim Il-sung’s 60th birthday gifts and messages, and public opinion surveys to the anti-state organization, as well as receiving 150,000 won in instructions and operational funds, were upheld as guilty. The defense’s claim that "testimonies from related parties cannot be trusted" was rejected.

The court stated, "Considering the crimes recognized as guilty, they were acts threatening the security of the Republic of Korea during a time of intense confrontation between North and South Korea," but added, "However, they cannot be evaluated as extremely harmful to national interests."

Mr. Lee appealed the retrial verdict to the Supreme Court, seeking to be recognized as 'completely innocent.'

Meanwhile, it is known that Mr. Lee decided to undergo a retrial after 50 years because the 'spy stigma' became a shackle in his life. In fact, after his release, he started a family and a business but was imprisoned again in 2012 due to the 'GPS spy case.'

The prosecution claimed in 2011 that Mr. Lee attempted to deliver military secret materials such as GPS jamming devices and signal detectors under orders from North Korean agents in China. However, the court judged that a business partner, Mr. Kim, who had a falling out with Mr. Lee during their business, falsely testified to frame him. The North Korean agent who supposedly gave the orders did not exist, and the materials allegedly secured were specifications of equipment publicly available on the internet.

Regarding this, Mr. Lee’s side explained, "If it were not for the 18 years of imprisonment, the investigation agency would not have concluded guilt based solely on Mr. Kim’s words," adding, "This is the background deeply engraved with resentment from the injustice of the 1972 case."