'Kim Hak-ui Departure Ban Controversy' Lee Seong-yoon, Lee Kwang-cheol, Cha Gyu-geun Acquitted, Lee Gyu-won Sentencing Deferred

Lee Seong-yoon, a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute, who was prosecuted for exerting external pressure on the investigation of the illegal travel ban case involving former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui, is attending a trial held on October 20, 2021, at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Lee Seong-yoon, a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute, who was prosecuted on charges of exerting external pressure in the investigation of the illegal travel ban case involving former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui, was acquitted in the first trial.

On the afternoon of the 15th, the Criminal Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Ok-gon) acquitted Lee, stating, "It is difficult to consider that the prosecution has sufficiently proven the charges that the defendant exerted illegal and improper pressure based solely on the evidence submitted by the prosecution."

The court explained the reason for the acquittal, saying, "It is difficult to view the act of explaining that 'the travel ban on Kim Hak-ui was a matter agreed upon by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office' or asking 'whether there is a recording of the investigation process' as illegal and improper external pressure."

Lee Gwang-cheol, former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House, and Cha Gyu-geun, former head of the Immigration and Foreign Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Justice, who were indicted on charges of illegally blocking the departure of former Deputy Minister Kim Hak-ui, were also acquitted on the same day. Prosecutor Lee Gyu-won of Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office was given a suspended sentence of four months in prison and received leniency.

The court stated, "At the time former Deputy Minister Kim attempted to leave the country, the re-investigation had become a foregone conclusion," adding, "Even if the legal requirements were not met in a very urgent situation, it cannot be regarded as abuse of authority." It also emphasized, "It cannot be seen that illegal benefits such as personal gain or solicitation were sought."

However, the court found only the charges that Prosecutor Lee falsely listed himself as the acting head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office to create a travel ban request form and obtained retroactive approval for the travel ban on former Deputy Minister Kim, as well as the charge of concealing this document, to be guilty.

Prosecutor Lee, former head Cha, and former secretary Lee were accused of illegally banning former Deputy Minister Kim's departure on March 22, 2019, when his attempt to leave from Incheon International Airport was detected.

At that time, Prosecutor Lee, who was dispatched to the Past Affairs Investigation Team at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, submitted an emergency travel ban request form created using a past case number for which former Deputy Minister Kim had already been cleared, to block his departure, and it was investigated that the retroactive approval request form contained a non-existent investigation number.

Former head Cha was charged with approving the travel ban request a day later despite knowing its illegality, and former secretary Lee was accused of coordinating between former head Cha and Prosecutor Lee and leading the entire illegal travel ban process.

In the same year, Lee Seong-yoon, who was the head of the Anti-Corruption and Violence Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, was prosecuted on charges of exerting pressure to obstruct the investigation by the Criminal Division 3 of Anyang District Prosecutors' Office into the suspicion of illegal travel ban.