DP: Jury Split 4-3 on Lee Hwa-young’s Perjury Charge... Verdict Not Yet Finalized

“Stop Reckless Attacks,” Democratic Party Tells PPP
Essence Lies in Acquittal and Dismissal of Key Charges

On June 20, the Democratic Party of Korea commented on the sentencing of former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young, who was indicted for perjury after raising allegations such as the so-called "salmon drinking party." The party stated, "The essence of the case is that, aside from the perjury charge, all other key charges resulted in either acquittal or dismissal."

Yonhap News Agency

In a written briefing on the same day, floor spokesperson Lee Juhee said, "The political funds law violation, which the People Power Party had strongly asserted, resulted in a unanimous not-guilty verdict from the jury, and the court dismissed the charges such as abuse of authority related to aid to North Korea." "The court's judgment that the prosecution indicted the defendant as an accomplice without evidence and thereby infringed on his right to defense proves that a significant portion of the illegal investigation and falsified testimony allegations, as revealed by the Democratic Party during the previous parliamentary inquiry, have been acknowledged. The true nature of this ruthless political scheme has been exposed through the court's dismissal of the charges."

Lee further commented, "Even regarding the perjury charge, for which a guilty verdict was delivered, the jury was closely divided 4 to 3. Former Vice Governor Lee has consistently testified about the substantive facts of the drinking party, and the lie detector also indicated a truthful response, making it difficult to definitively conclude intentional perjury."

Lee added, "The verdict has not yet been finalized, and it will be necessary to re-examine the specific reasoning through the appeals process. The People Power Party should stop its reckless attacks and thoughtless behavior, and sincerely reflect on the essence of the verdict, which rejected most of their claims."

Lee also stated, "Above all, the People Power Party must immediately apologize for making the outrageous remark of calling the government, chosen by the people, a 'dictatorship.' The People Power Party, which has condoned incitement to rebellion that undermined the constitutional order and whose members are facing a series of investigations and trials, is in no position to speak of dictatorship."

Lee concluded, "President Lee Jaemyung personally provided a detailed briefing to the public regarding the achievements of his visit to Europe, setting an example of transparent governance and prompt communication. The People Power Party should stop their irresponsible wordplay, forgetful of their own faults, and be more careful with their words."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.