Court Dismisses Prosecution's Appeal Against Release of Lee Jang-ho, Gunsan University President

Prosecutor's Appeal 'Dismissed' by Court
"There is Room to Dispute Whether a Crime Was Committed"

The prosecution's appeal against Lee Jang-ho, president of the National Gunsan University, was dismissed.

According to the legal and educational circles on the 4th, the Jeonju branch of the Gwangju High Court (presiding judge Yang Jin-su) dismissed the prosecution's appeal on the 2nd against President Lee, who was released by the decision of the Gunsan branch of the Jeonju District Court on August 28.

The court stated, "There is room for dispute regarding the establishment of the crime," and decided that it is necessary to determine whether the charges against President Lee are valid.

President Lee is accused of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, among other charges, and the court found it necessary to examine the validity of the charges themselves.

Lee Jang-ho, President of Gunsan National University [Photo by Gunsan National University]

It also explained that it is difficult to view his actions as those that could be evaluated as "evidence destruction."

Earlier, on August 28, the Gunsan branch of the Jeonju District Court accepted President Lee's request for a detention review. A detention review is a procedure in which the court re-examines whether the detention of a suspect is justified. A suspect who has been detained by investigative authorities can request the competent court to reconsider the detention before the prosecutor files charges.

With the dismissal of the prosecution's appeal against the acceptance of the detention review, President Lee is able to maintain his released status.