Yoon's Prosecution: What Exactly Did They Do? [Seong Han-yong Column]

A recent acquittal of former lawmaker Noh Woong-rae on bribery charges has ignited a fierce political battle in South Korea, highlighting deep divisions over prosecutorial conduct. The court's decision, which deemed evidence against Noh illegally gathered, has drawn sharp accusations from the opposition Democratic Party. They contend that prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, now a lawmaker himself, fabricated evidence and demand an apology.

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I will make sure to create a country where innocent citizens are not sacrificed due to the abuse of state power again.

"A case where the prosecution, through fabrication and framing, framed an innocent person," declared Kim Min-seok, the Democratic Party's leader. Spokesperson Shin Hyun-young echoed this sentiment, stating, "Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who turned an innocent person into a criminal, should apologize." The opposition argues that the ruling was not about Noh's innocence but about the inadmissibility of illegally collected evidence.

However, Han Dong-hoon vehemently disputes this interpretation. He argued that the acquittal was based on a technicality – the court's exclusion of illegally obtained evidence – and that the substance of Noh receiving money remains. He challenged the opposition's narrative, suggesting a public airing of the recorded evidence if they continued to insist on Noh's innocence. "If you are going to shamelessly build up the narrative for Lee Jae-myung's indictment cancellation, we must stop it," Han stated, framing the opposition's stance as an attempt to undermine the legal process.

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This is a case where the prosecution, through fabrication and framing, framed an innocent person.

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo weighed into the controversy, criticizing Han's demand to review the recordings as "ignorant and foolish," akin to a "people's tribunal." Hong, a frequent critic of Han, argued that acquittals in modern legal systems, particularly in the U.S., signify that a person is not guilty under procedural law, not necessarily innocent in an absolute sense. He stressed that Han should apologize for the prosecution's improper evidence collection rather than demanding a review of the recordings.

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Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who turned an innocent person into a criminal, should apologize.

The article frames the Noh case as one among several instances of the Yoon Suk-yeol prosecution's alleged overreach. It cites acquittals in cases involving former ministers and officials, suggesting a pattern of "sloppy" investigations. Conversely, it claims the first lady, Kim Keon-hee, has been leniently treated, with investigations into her alleged stock manipulation being dismissed only for a special prosecutor to later indict former prosecutors involved in that decision. The piece concludes by characterizing the Yoon-era prosecution as a "monster" that has consumed the government, a historical pattern of the prosecution wielding power across different administrations.

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It is not a ruling that he did not receive money, but merely that illegally collected evidence was not recognized by the court.