Prosecutors Issue Summary Indictment for 'Third Labor Union Perjury' Im Tae-hee with 3 Million Won Fine... Criticized as 'Slap on the Wrist'

Prosecutors have opted for a summary indictment, proposing a 3 million won fine for Im Tae-hee, a former presidential secretary and current Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education, on charges of perjury. The alleged perjury took place during a trial concerning illegal state funding provided by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to establish a pro-government labor union, the 'Third Labor Union,' during the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Jo Tae-wook, an executive committee member of the KT Labor Human Rights Center and a victim of the NIS's alleged plot to dismantle the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), criticized the prosecution's decision as a lenient punishment. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office reportedly charged Im with perjury for denying requests from former Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Chae-pil to support the NIS's budget for the Third Labor Union and for denying relaying such requests to NIS official Min Byung-hwan.

However, the prosecution dismissed other perjury allegations against Im, including his denial of receiving instructions from former President Lee Myung-bak to support the launch of the Third Labor Union. The prosecution's reasoning suggested that President Lee's remarks were general opinions on labor unions and not direct orders to Im. Meanwhile, former NIS Director Won Sei-hoon and former Vice Minister Lee Chae-pil received suspended indictments for their alleged perjury, with the prosecution citing their status as defendants in the original trial and their subsequent pardons under the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

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The prosecution's lenient investigation is a slap on the wrist.

Jo Tae-wook has appealed this decision, arguing that the prosecution's leniency allowed Im Tae-hee to run for and win the Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education election. He contends that if Im had been indicted in the original state fund embezzlement case, he might not have been eligible to run for office. The fine of 3 million won is seen as a minimal penalty, especially considering the alleged manipulation of labor movements and Im's subsequent political career.

The article also details Jo Tae-wook's personal history as a victim of alleged NIS interference in labor union activities. He was reportedly fired from KT in 2010 for allegedly defaming former CEO Lee Suk-chae, but later court documents from Won Sei-hoon's trial revealed NIS involvement in supporting a moderate candidate over Jo in a 2008 union election and encouraging management to suppress labor demands. This context highlights the broader implications of the prosecution's decision, suggesting a pattern of leniency in cases involving alleged state-sponsored labor suppression.

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If former Secretary Im had been prosecuted for embezzlement of state funds, he would not have been able to run for the Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education election.