Song Kyung-ho, Chief of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, Orders "Reinforcement of Trial Personnel" Following Gwak Sang-do's Acquittal

Song Kyung-ho, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Song Kyung-ho, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, has ordered reinforcement of the prosecution team to maintain the indictment in order to overturn the first trial ruling that could not recognize the 5 billion won retirement payment received by Byeong-chae, son of former lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, as a bribe.

According to the legal community on the 10th, Prosecutor Song received a report on the progress of the case from the first investigation team in charge of maintaining the indictment after the first trial acquitted former lawmaker Kwak of bribery on the 8th.

Prosecutor Song is known to have ordered additional prosecutors from the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin), which is investigating the Daejang-dong corruption allegations, to be deployed to the trial to take a more active stance in the appeal trial. The prosecution has decided to appeal, stating that it is difficult to accept the first trial ruling.

Prosecutor Song also reportedly instructed to thoroughly conduct the investigation to clearly identify the truth of the remaining "5 Billion Club."

Besides former lawmaker Kwak, the 5 Billion Club includes former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il, former Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Choi Jae-kyung, former Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam, and Hong Seon-geun, Chairman of Money Today Media Group.

Prosecutor Song's order appears to be in response to the public outrage following the court's ruling. Earlier, the Seoul Central District Court first trial panel judged that the 5 billion won retirement payment received by Byeong-chae was "exceptionally excessive by social standards," but did not recognize the bribery charge, stating that it was difficult to see former lawmaker Kwak and his son as an "economic community."