Prosecutors appeal ruling for ex-official Lee Hwa-young; 'salmon party' excluded from appeal
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Prosecutors have appealed the first-instance ruling for former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young, who was sentenced to four months in prison for perjury regarding a "salmon and alcohol party."
- The appeal will re-examine the existence of the alleged party and the charges of abuse of power, which were dismissed in the first trial due to prosecutorial abuse of power.
- Lee Hwa-young has also appealed his sentence, maintaining his account of the party and seeking an acquittal on the dismissed charges.
Prosecutors are appealing a court's decision that handed former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young a four-month prison sentence for perjury related to a "salmon and alcohol party." The appeal aims to overturn the dismissal of charges concerning abuse of power, which the first trial court cited as prosecutorial abuse of power.
The court's judgment on whether the prosecution abused its power by separating the indictments of co-conspirators deviates from established legal precedents, and there were reasonable grounds for not indicting Lee simultaneously with his alleged accomplices.
The prosecution argues that the court's judgment on whether the prosecution abused its power by separating the indictments of co-conspirators deviates from established legal precedents. They contend there were reasonable grounds for not indicting Lee simultaneously with his alleged accomplices. However, the prosecution will not appeal the verdict on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, for which Lee was acquitted, nor the charges of violating the National Assembly Act, for which he received a four-month sentence, respecting the jury's decisions.
Lee Hwa-young himself has also appealed the first-instance ruling, citing factual and legal errors. His defense team continues to assert that the drinking party occurred and plans to contest its existence again in the appellate court. They also aim to secure an acquittal on the charges that were dismissed in the initial trial.
The defense team continues to assert that the drinking party occurred and plans to contest its existence again in the appellate court.
The initial trial, conducted via jury trial, found Lee's testimony inconsistent and lacking credibility. The court ruled that his claim of a "salmon and alcohol party" in October 2024, where external food was brought in during a supposed interrogation, was false. The jury's majority decision (4 guilty, 3 not guilty) led to the perjury conviction and four-month sentence. The court acquitted him on charges related to the Political Funds Act and dismissed other charges, including abuse of power, due to the prosecution's alleged abuse of power in their indictment strategy.
The defendant's testimony lacks consistency and credibility.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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