Claims of Factual Errors, Misinterpretation of Law, and Inappropriate Sentencing
The prosecution has appealed the verdict against a close aide of former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young, who was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the first trial on charges including abuse of authority related to the North Korea support project in Gyeonggi Province.
On the 24th, the Criminal Division 6 of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Seo Hyun-wook) announced that it had filed an appeal against the first trial verdict sentencing former Gyeonggi Province Peace Cooperation Bureau Director Shin Myung-seop to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year suspension on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights. The appeal cited factual errors, legal misinterpretations, and inappropriate sentencing as reasons.
The prosecution explained regarding the North Korean sapling support project charges, which the court had acquitted, that "Considering that Gyeonggi Province provided ornamental saplings unsuitable for forest restoration, that then Deputy Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young and A disregarded the opposition opinions of field officials and provided gift saplings to curry favor with North Korean high-ranking officials, and that the Gyeonggi Province Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund was used despite the support purpose and recipients not complying with laws and regulations, the abuse of authority charges are sufficiently established."
Regarding the reason for considering the sentencing inappropriate, the prosecution argued, "Considering that the defendant exploited his public official status solely for personal gain, wasted about 1 billion KRW from the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund raised from the blood tax of Gyeonggi Province residents, leaked confidential Gyeonggi Province documents to obstruct investigation and trial, involved his subordinate Gyeonggi Province officials in the crime, and instead of showing remorse, repeatedly made irrational excuses even during the trial, a much heavier sentence should be imposed."
The prosecution had previously sought a 3-year prison sentence for Mr. Shin. However, the first trial court acquitted Mr. Shin due to insufficient evidence regarding the instruction he gave to Gyeonggi Province officials, in collusion with former Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young, to promote the North Korean sapling support project for forest restoration purposes. Mr. Shin was a fixed-term public official who served as the director of the Gyeonggi Province Peace Cooperation Bureau directly under former Deputy Governor Lee.
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