Democratic Party calls Lee Hwa-young verdict proof of 'targeted prosecution'

The Democratic Party of Korea said a first-instance jury trial verdict in the case of former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young proves "targeted prosecution by the state," after Lee was indicted on perjury and other charges stemming from the so-called "salmon drinking party" allegations.

Lee received a four-month prison sentence on the perjury charge in the first-instance ruling. However, she was acquitted of allegations that she conspired with former Ssangbangwool Group chairman Kim Sung-tae in a scheme to split political donations in violation of the Political Funds Act. Charges related to abuse of authority in connection with aid to North Korea were dismissed.

Floor leader Han Byung-do cited the dismissal ruling on Facebook, calling it "a clear abuse of prosecutorial authority, in the court's own words." He said the verdict "reconfirmed that it was no exaggeration to raise concerns that the prosecution under the previous administration wielded its power to target President Lee Jae-myung and those around him, fabricating crimes that did not exist in order to lock them all up."

Han also directed criticism at the People Power Party. "Two of the three charges ended in acquittal or dismissal, yet they are cherry-picking the single four-month perjury conviction — decided by a jury split four to three — and acting as if the entire prosecution was justified," he said. "Shaking one minor branch to obscure the massive truth of targeted prosecution is the real incitement."

Floor spokesperson Lee Ju-hee said at a briefing that "the crux of the matter is that all the core charges except perjury were either acquitted or dismissed." She added that the court's finding — that prosecutors indicted the defendant as a co-conspirator without evidence, violating her right to a defense — "proves that the allegations of illegal investigation and fabricated testimony that the Democratic Party exposed during the parliamentary investigation have been substantially validated."

She added that "the true face of this unconscionable political scheme has been laid bare through the judicial verdict of dismissal," and called on the People Power Party to "stop its self-serving bandwagoning and squarely face the substance of a ruling that rejected most of its claims."

Han stressed that "the verdict has not yet been finalized, and the specific reasoning will need to be examined again through the appeals process." He also demanded that the People Power Party "immediately apologize for having the audacity to hurl the absurd slur of 'dictatorship' at a government chosen by the people."