Song Youngmoo, former Minister of National Defense, who was indicted on charges of forcing senior officials to sign false statements, was acquitted again in the appellate court.
On the 27th, the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Appellate Division 2-3 (Presiding Judge Lim Gihwan) dismissed all appeals filed by the prosecution in the appellate trial concerning Song's charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights. Appeals against Jeong Haeil, former military aide at the Ministry of National Defense, and Choi Hyunsoo, former spokesperson-both of whom were also acquitted in the first trial on the same charges-were likewise dismissed.
Song, who served under the Moon Jae-in administration, was suspected of making remarks in July 2018 regarding a martial law review document prepared by the Defense Security Command under the Park Geun-hye administration, stating that “reviewing the Garrison Act was not a mistake.” To refute these allegations, he was accused of instructing eight officials, including the Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of National Defense, to draft statements confirming that such remarks were never madeand demanding their signatures.
When one attendee of the meeting refused to sign, it caused a stir, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) requested the prosecution to indict Song, stating that his charges were substantiated.
The court ruled, “Considering the circumstances at the time and various factors, it is difficult to view the defendants’ act of having the statements drafted as an abuse of authority that forced others to perform duties they were not obliged to.”
Previously, the first trial court had acquitted Song, Jeong, and Choi of all charges. The prosecution appealed on grounds including factual misinterpretation and sought a two-year prison sentence in the appellate trial.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
