Former Gyeonggi official sentenced to prison for perjury over alleged 'salmon drinking party'

A former official of Gyeonggi Province, Lee Hwa-young, has been sentenced to four months in prison for perjury concerning allegations of a "salmon drinking party." The court cited inconsistencies in his testimony regarding the location and quantity of alcohol consumed as the primary reason for the guilty verdict.

The ruling from the Suwon District Court's Criminal Division 11 stated that while testimonies from witnesses sworn in court were consistent, Lee's statements about the drinking session were not. The court also noted that evidence such as corporate card payment records from Ssangbangul were insufficient to prove that alcohol was provided to Lee and others.

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The court found that while the testimonies of witnesses sworn in court were consistent and there were no circumstances to dismiss them, the defendant's statements were inconsistent regarding the location and amount of alcohol consumed.

Lee was accused of providing false testimony during a parliamentary hearing in October 2024, claiming a drinking session with external food like salmon occurred in a prosecutor's office. However, witnesses, including a prosecutor and former Ssangbangul executives, testified that no such gathering took place, a claim the court accepted.

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The court stated that payment records from Ssangbangul's corporate card alone were insufficient to conclude that alcohol was provided to the defendant and others.

Lee's defense argued that Ssangbangul's corporate card was used to purchase three bottles of soju and one more shortly after, suggesting alcohol was transferred into water bottles. The court, however, deemed this insufficient evidence to confirm a drinking party. In a separate charge related to abuse of power in North Korea business dealings, the court pointed to prosecutorial misconduct, noting that Lee was charged as an accomplice only after a co-defendant received a guilty verdict in the first trial, significantly hindering his defense rights.

Lee Hwa-young has stated his intention to appeal the court's decision, filing an appeal on the 21st. The court's ruling highlighted a complex legal battle involving allegations of bribery, perjury, and prosecutorial conduct.

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The court ruled that the prosecution's indictment was a clear abuse of prosecutorial power, as it was made while the defendant's right to defense was significantly infringed upon.