Rep. Noh Woong-rae Acquitted as Prosecutors Drop Appeal

Prosecutors have opted not to appeal the acquittal of former Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Woong-rae, effectively confirming his innocence in a case concerning alleged illegal political funds. Noh had previously been cleared of charges in both the initial trial and the subsequent appeal.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced on November 28 that they would not pursue a further appeal following the second trial's not-guilty verdict. This decision means Noh's acquittal is now final.

Noh had been indicted on charges of receiving a total of 60 million won on five occasions from businessman Mr. Park between February and December 2020. The funds were allegedly in exchange for facilitating approvals for logistics center projects and providing convenience for power plant supply deals.

The first court ruled in November last year that evidence submitted by the prosecution was illegally obtained and thus inadmissible. The appellate court reached the same conclusion on December 21, leading to Noh's acquittal.

In their decision to drop the appeal, prosecutors stated they considered recent court rulings that impose stricter standards on the legality of evidence obtained from existing seized items. They also factored in the probability of their appeal being accepted.

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We considered recent court rulings that judge the legality of procedures for voluntarily submitting evidence from existing seized items more strictly, and the possibility of the appeal being accepted.