A Man in His 60s Sent Praise Letters and Funeral Wreaths for Kim Jong-il's Birthday... Prosecutors Seek 2-Year Prison Sentence

$300,000 Subsidy Embezzled and 67 Million KRW Misappropriated
Defendant Says "14 Years of Investigation and Trial... Please Close the Case"

A man in his 60s who sent a praise letter and a condolence wreath on the birthday of former National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il was sentenced to prison.

According to the legal community on the 23rd, the prosecution recently requested a sentence of 2 years in prison and a fine of 30 million won at the sentencing trial of Mr. A, held under the presiding of Judge Gong Hyeon-jin of the Suwon District Court Criminal Division 5, on charges including violation of the National Security Act (praise and encouragement, etc.).

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is paying tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on December 16, 2023, marking the 12th anniversary of the death of National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Mr. A was indicted on charges of delivering a praise letter to a North Korean official on the birthday of former National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il in February 2010, and delivering a condolence wreath for Kim Jong-il to the North Korean Embassy in Beijing, China, around December 2011, while engaging in social group activities related to inter-Korean exchanges.

He is also charged with violating the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act by exporting soccer shoes worth about 60 million won to North Korea without approval from the Minister of Unification around August 2015; violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act by failing to report approximately 300,000 dollars (about 350 million won) in subsidies received from Gyeonggi Province and others from February to August 2015 and exporting them to China; and embezzlement of 67 million won in subsidies arbitrarily used from May 2013 to August 2015.

In his final defense, the defendant’s lawyer stated, "The defendant has suffered great damage, including being unable to enter or leave the country for years due to this issue," and added, "Although the constitutionality of the National Security Act has been upheld by the Constitutional Court, it is highly questionable whether the defendant’s actions seriously harm the basic order of liberal democracy."

He continued, "Even if there are points of guilt against the defendant, he has already been sufficiently punished through more than seven years of trial proceedings," and requested, "Please acquit him of all charges."

Mr. A’s side added that the soccer shoes were sent at North Korea’s request for soccer exchanges, and that there was no personal gain related to the charge of exporting foreign currency.

The defendant made a final statement, saying, "My life has become very difficult as the investigation and trial have continued for over 14 years," and "I am extremely exhausted. I ask the court to conclude this case."

Mr. A was indicted in February 2017, but the trial was suspended until September last year when the Constitutional Court ruled on the constitutionality of the National Security Act provisions prohibiting praise and encouragement of acts benefiting the enemy and possession and distribution of enemy-related materials. Mr. A’s sentencing is scheduled for May 23.