Court rules ex-official lied about 'salmon party,' sparking political firestorm

A recent court ruling has intensified the political battle between South Korea's ruling and opposition parties, centering on the testimony of former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young. The court found Lee's testimony regarding a "salmon drinking party" to be false, handing him a four-month prison sentence for violating the National Assembly Testimony and Evidence Act.

However, the court acquitted Lee on charges of conspiring with former Ssangbangul Chairman Kim Sung-tae to illegally funnel political funds to Lee Jae-myung, the current president. This split verdict has become a focal point for political maneuvering. The ruling People Power Party seized on the "salmon drinking party" conviction, framing it as evidence of "false propaganda" and a politically motivated attempt to clear President Lee Jae-myung's name.

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The court declared prosecutorial abuse of power, clearly proving the 'politically motivated fabricated indictments aimed at destroying political opponents' by the Yoon Suk-yeol political prosecution.

"The 'salmon drinking party' allegations have ultimately been confirmed as false," stated People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won on Facebook. "Yet, the Democratic Party pushed for prosecutor impeachment, a parliamentary inquiry, and a special prosecutor based on this." The party's floor leader, Jeong Jin-seok, echoed this sentiment, calling it "false fabrication" and adding "salmon drinking party propaganda" to the Democratic Party's history of "false propaganda."

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The 'salmon drinking party' allegations have ultimately been confirmed as false. Yet, the Democratic Party pushed for prosecutor impeachment, a parliamentary inquiry, and a special prosecutor based on this.

Conversely, the Democratic Party highlighted the acquittal on the political funding charges. Lee Ju-hee, the party's spokesperson, argued that the jury's inability to unanimously convict Lee on the perjury charge indicated a failure to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Democratic Party's special committee investigating "political prosecution's fabricated indictments" emphasized that the court's acknowledgment of prosecutorial misconduct in the indictment process proves the necessity of a special prosecutor to investigate alleged "politically motivated indictments aimed at destroying political opponents."

Despite the political sparring, some within the Democratic Party acknowledged that the guilty verdict on the "salmon drinking party" testimony might weaken their push for a special prosecutor. The court's decision also dismissed charges related to abuse of power and obstruction of official duties, further complicating the narrative.

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The fact that 3 out of 7 jurors could not be convinced of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt means that proof beyond a reasonable doubt was not reached.