Prosecution Appeals Against Yang Seung-tae's 'Judicial Manipulation 1st Trial Not Guilty' Verdict

The prosecution has appealed the first-instance acquittal of former Chief Justice Yang Seung-tae, who was identified as the pinnacle of the 'judicial scandal.'

According to the legal community on the 2nd, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Trial Division 5 (Chief Prosecutor Yoo Min-jong) submitted an appeal to the court the day before against the first-instance verdict that acquitted former Chief Justice Yang and former Justices Park Byung-dae and Ko Young-han.

Seoul Seocho-gu Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 35-1 (Presiding Judges Lee Jong-min, Lim Jeong-taek, Min So-young) acquitted former Chief Justice Yang on the 26th of last month on 47 criminal charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights. Former Justices Park and Ko, who were also indicted on charges of conspiring with former Chief Justice Yang on some of the allegations and who previously served as heads of the Court Administration Office responsible for judicial administration, were also acquitted. Earlier, in September last year, the prosecution had requested sentences of 7 years for former Chief Justice Yang, 5 years for former Justice Park, and 4 years for former Justice Ko, respectively.

On the day, the prosecution stated, "There is a significant difference in views with the first-instance court regarding the scope of judicial administrative authority, judicial independence, general abuse of authority, and the legal principles of abuse of authority exceeding jurisdiction, as well as differences from previous court rulings on related cases. We appeal to unify the recognition of facts and interpretation of laws and to correct these issues."

They added, "Since a lengthy hearing on the facts was conducted up to the first-instance verdict, the appeal trial will proceed swiftly focusing on the legal principles of abuse of authority and joint conspiracy."

It took a full 4 years and 11 months from the time of indictment of former Chief Justice Yang until the first-instance verdict was delivered. With this prosecution appeal, the unprecedented 'judicial scandal' case is expected to proceed to the second trial and ultimately receive a judgment from the Supreme Court.