'Taxi Driver Assault' Lee Yong-gu Receives Suspended Prison Sentence in Second Trial... Indicates Supreme Court Appeal

Former Deputy Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu, who was prosecuted for assaulting a taxi driver while intoxicated and attempting to destroy related evidence, was sentenced to a suspended prison term again in the appellate court.

Former Deputy Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu indicted on charges of assaulting a taxi driver

On the afternoon of the 9th, the Criminal Division 2 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Lee Won-beom, Han Ki-soo, Nam Woo-hyun) sentenced former Deputy Minister Lee to 6 months in prison with a 2-year suspension, the same as the first trial, on charges of assaulting a driver under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and instructing evidence destruction. All of Lee’s appeals were dismissed.

Immediately after the verdict, when reporters asked about his "position on the second trial result," former Deputy Minister Lee said, "I will prepare an appeal after consulting with my lawyers," and "I will prepare well for the Supreme Court." When asked if he had anything to say to the taxi driver, he replied, "I am still sorry."

Earlier, on the night of November 6, 2020, near his home in Seocho-gu, Seoul, former Deputy Minister Lee was prosecuted for assaulting a taxi driver who tried to wake him up while he was intoxicated, grabbing and pushing the driver by the collar. He was also charged with instructing the destruction of evidence by requesting the taxi driver to delete the black box video inside the vehicle that recorded the assault scene immediately after the incident.

During the trial, former Deputy Minister Lee admitted to assaulting the taxi driver but emphasized that he was in a state of diminished mental capacity due to intoxication at the time. He claimed innocence regarding the charge of instructing evidence destruction.

The first trial recognized all charges as guilty. At that time, the court criticized, "The defendant worsened the nature of the crime by instructing evidence destruction to avoid or reduce criminal punishment for this (driver assault) case, thereby causing risks to the criminal justice process."

Former Seocho Police Station officer A, who was prosecuted together on charges including dereliction of duty for closing the investigation despite watching the black box video after the incident, was acquitted in the second trial as well as in the first trial.