Prosecution Requests 2-Year Prison Sentence in 2nd Trial of Lee Seong-yoon for 'Kim Hak-ui Illegal Deportation Investigation Cover-up'

The prosecution requested a two-year prison sentence in the second trial for Lee Seong-yoon, a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute, who was indicted on charges of covering up the investigation into former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui's illegal travel ban. The verdict will be delivered on the 25th of next month.

Seong-yoon Lee, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 5th, at the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 5 (Presiding Judges Seo Seung-ryeol, Ahn Seung-hoon, Choi Moon-soo), during the appeal trial's closing arguments for Lee's charge of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights, the prosecution requested the court to "impose the same two-year prison sentence as in the first trial."

The prosecution argued, "Lee contacted the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Anyang Branch five times over two weeks, raising issues about the investigation of prosecutor Lee Gyu-won," and added, "It is not reasonable to think that all the prosecutors at the Anyang Branch misunderstood the purpose of the contact."

They continued, "Even if someone else had been in Lee's position, we would have conducted the investigation in the same way and reached the same conclusion," and stated, "This trial is a precedent for establishing proper supervision by higher prosecutorial authorities in the future. If an abnormal conclusion like the first trial is reached, similar offenses will continue."

In his final statement, Lee said, "As a private individual, I swear on my faith and conscience that I was not involved in the 'Kim Hak-ui emergency travel ban' case, nor do I have any reason to be involved," and criticized, "From my investigative experience, these are utterly incomprehensible and groundless claims."

He claimed, "I was solely indicted on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights, while former Chief Prosecutor Yoon Dae-jin and others are still under investigation by the prosecution," and added, "The prosecution hastily singled me out and selectively indicted only me."

Lee was indicted on charges of pressuring the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Anyang Branch to halt the investigation into former Deputy Minister Kim's illegal travel ban case in June 2019, while serving as head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. The first trial held in February this year acquitted him.