Former Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young [Yonhap]
Former Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young [Yonhap]

A court has rejected as false former Gyeonggi Province Peace Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young's claim that prosecutors plied him with salmon sashimi and soju to manipulate his testimony.

Suwon District Court's Criminal Division 11, presided over by Judge Song Byung-hoon, sentenced Lee on Saturday to four months in prison on charges including perjury under the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly.

The court found Lee guilty of perjury, saying witness accounts from those present in recording room No. 1313 at the Suwon District Prosecutors Office were consistent, while Lee's own statements lacked consistency and credibility. Four of seven jurors agreed that Lee had not been served alcohol and that his testimony before the National Assembly could be considered false.

The ruling came as the Democratic Party of Korea had seized on the allegations to brand prosecutors' investigation and indictment as fabricated. Both the court and the jury declined to accept the testimony-manipulation claims.

Lee was acquitted, however, on charges of violating political funds law. Prosecutors had alleged that he conspired with former Ssangbangwool Group chairman Kim Sung-tae to funnel illegal split donations exceeding legal limits to President Lee Jae Myung during the 2018 Gyeonggi gubernatorial election and the 2021 Democratic Party presidential primary. All seven jurors also voted unanimously for acquittal on that count.

Charges related to Lee's alleged order to provide North Korea with pine seedlings and children's nutritional supplies — overriding objections from Gyeonggi Province civil servants — were dismissed. Those charges had included abuse of authority, obstruction of public duties by deception, and violation of the Local Finance Act.

Lee had appeared as a witness at a National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing in October 2024 on the impeachment motion against Park Sang-yong, a senior prosecutor at the Suwon District Prosecutors Office, and testified that a salmon drinking party had been held in room No. 1313 to manipulate his statements. He repeatedly changed the alleged date of the gathering, citing June 18, June 30 and May 17 of the previous year at various points.

[단독] 검사의 실수, 증거와 공소장에 적힌 음주운전 날짜가 다르다…대법원 파기환송[세상&]

[단독] 검사의 실수, 증거와 공소장에 적힌 음주운전 날짜가 다르다…대법원 파기환송[세상&]

[헤럴드경제=양근혁 기자] 대법원이 누범기간 중 면허취소 수준의 음주운전을 한 혐의로 재판에 넘겨진 남성에게 징역 1년을 선고한 원심을 깨고 사건을 2심 법원으로 돌려
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