Special prosecutor withdraws appeal in bribery case against ex-minister Park Sung-jae

A special prosecutor's team has dropped its appeal against a lower court's decision to dismiss charges against former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae. The team stated that pursuing the appeal could lead to significant delays in the legal process if the case were sent back for retrial on more serious charges.

The decision to withdraw the appeal, announced on April 29, specifically concerns the charges against Park for violating the anti-graft law. The special prosecutor's team explained that their action was a "litigation economy judgment" considering the legislative intent of the special prosecutor law and the relatively minor weight of the dismissed charges within the overall case.

“

If the case of rebellion for important duties is sent back, it could cause a delay in proceedings.

However, the team clarified that this withdrawal does not signify an endorsement of the lower court's decision that the dismissal was justified. They plan to transfer the case related to the anti-graft law violation to another investigative agency.

Park Sung-jae was previously sentenced to 25 years in prison and detained for charges including rebellion and abuse of power. The court dismissed the charges related to alleged intervention in an investigation involving the first lady, ruling that such matters were outside the scope of the special prosecutor's mandate. Both Park and former Vice Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu, who also appealed their acquittals, had their appeals rejected.

“

This is a litigation economy judgment considering the legislative intent of the special prosecutor law and the proportion of the dismissed crime within the whole.