Daejeon City Council Member Song Hwalseop Sentenced to Prison After One-Year Request; What Awaits Sejong City Council Member Sang Byunheon, Who Faces Two Years?

Same Presiding Judge: Lee Mina's Panel at Daejeon District Court
Victim's Side Submits Petition; Defendant Has Not Submitted Plea or Letter of Reflection

Song Hwalseop, a member of the Daejeon City Council who was indicted and brought to trial on charges of indecent assault, was recently sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year. Previously, prosecutors had requested a one-year prison sentence for Song, along with an order for disclosure and notification of personal information and employment restrictions. Last year, in February and March, while he was a member of the People Power Party, Song was investigated and tried for about 13 months on charges of molesting a female employee who worked at the election camp of a fellow party candidate, including touching her body and holding her hand.

There is also growing attention on the sentencing result for Sang Byunheon, a member of the Sejong City Council from the Democratic Party of Korea, who was indicted and brought to trial on charges of indecent assault and false accusation. At the sentencing hearing for Sang held at the Daejeon District Court on June 26, prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence, an order for disclosure and notification, a completion order, and a 10-year employment restriction.

The panel of judges that will deliver the verdict in this case is the same as the one that sentenced Song at the Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 8, presided over by Judge Lee Mina, who handed down a suspended prison sentence to Song. Sang will also receive his verdict from the same presiding judge.

In particular, unlike Song, who received his first trial verdict just one year and one month after the complaint was filed, Sang has been under investigation and trial for nearly three years?more than twice as long?before the first trial verdict. During this period, several law firms withdrew from the case, causing delays in appointing legal counsel. This has led to suspicions of intentional trial delays.

At a hearing in May, Sang suddenly admitted to all charges and is now attempting to reach a settlement with the victims. However, it is reported that disagreements have made the process difficult. As a result, with recovery for the victims through settlement becoming impossible, a criminal deposit has been made.

According to Article 5-2 of the current Deposits Act, if it is difficult for the defendant and the victim in a criminal case to reach a settlement due to various circumstances, a performance deposit (hereinafter referred to as a criminal deposit) may be made at the deposit office of the court where the criminal case is pending.

The deposit system is designed to verify whether the defendant is making genuine efforts to reach a settlement and compensate the victim, even in cases where the defendant may falsely claim that settlement is difficult without actually attempting it. Therefore, with the first trial verdict for Sang only ten days away, it remains uncertain whether Sang, as the defendant, will be able to reach a settlement with the victims. If a settlement is not reached, attention is focused on whether the deposit system will be utilized.

In this context, Asia Economy has confirmed that a party related to the victim recently submitted a petition to the court regarding this case. In criminal cases, a petition is a narrative document submitted by the victim, complainant, or a third party concerning the defendant's alleged crime. Although it is usually submitted to investigative agencies, it can also be filed before a verdict is delivered. In contrast, it has been confirmed that Sang has never submitted a letter of reflection, such as a petition for leniency.

Meanwhile, the first trial verdict for this case is scheduled to be delivered at 2 p.m. on July 24 in Courtroom 317 of the Daejeon District Court.