Democratic Party calls perjury conviction 'substantively not guilty' in 'salmon party' case

The Democratic Party of Korea said Sunday that a court's finding that former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young had lied about the so-called "salmon party" allegations amounted to a conviction that was "substantively not guilty," and predicted she would be acquitted on appeal.

Democratic Party lawmakers who served on the National Assembly's special committee investigating allegations of fabricated indictments by the political prosecution under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration made the remarks at a press conference at the National Assembly on Sunday.

"The jury returned a 4-to-3 guilty verdict on whether alcohol was served, and the court respected that outcome in handing down a guilty sentence," the lawmakers said. "With three jurors voting not guilty, the case is substantively one of innocence, and we expect a full acquittal at the appellate level."

They added that the ruling had resulted in acquittals and dismissals on the key charges in the case, and called on prosecutors to reflect on and correct what they described as politically motivated fabricated indictments carried out under the Yoon administration.

The statement was issued in the name of all Democratic Party members who served on the special committee, though only lawmakers Seo Young-gyo, Lee Geon-tae and Lee Yong-woo attended the press conference.

The Suwon District Court's 11th Criminal Division, presided over by Judge Song Byeong-hun, sentenced Lee on Saturday to four months in prison for perjury — specifically for raising the "salmon party" allegations before the National Assembly in violation of the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly.

The sentence followed a marathon overnight jury deliberation that lasted nine and a half hours beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, with the court giving maximum weight to the jury's divided verdict.

On the central charge — perjury related to the so-called "salmon drinking party" — both the court and the jury found Lee guilty.

The jury split 4-to-3 in favor of conviction. The court upheld the guilty finding, saying the testimony of those present in the prosecutor's office was "consistent and mutually corroborating, while the defendant's account lacked consistency and credibility."

Immediately after sentencing, Lee's defense team expressed strong regret and announced its intention to appeal.

The defense said prosecutors had "forcibly indicted her by isolating roughly one minute of testimony about alcohol being brought in from a 40-minute hearing appearance," and rebuffed the conviction, saying Lee had "consistently maintained that the party took place — only her recollection of the exact date was unclear."

The defense also stressed that Lee had shown a "truthful response" on a polygraph examination. "She testified about something she clearly remembers as fact. It is difficult to accept that this would be punished as deliberate perjury," the team said.