The first trial of Cho Tae-yong, former director of the National Intelligence Service, who was sent to trial on charges of failing to report to the National Assembly despite knowing about the plan to declare martial law on December 3, will be delivered next week. On the same day, the Seoul High Court will also hold a sentencing hearing for Geonjinbeop teacher Jeon Seong-bae, who was sentenced to six years in prison in the first trial on charges of conspiring with Kim Geon-hee and receiving money and valuables from the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church) in favor of church issues.
According to the legal community on the 17th, the 32nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ryu Kyung-jin) will hold a sentencing hearing on the 21st for former Director Cho on charges of violation of the prohibition on political involvement under the National Intelligence Service Act and dereliction of duty.
Previously, the Insurrection Special Prosecutor Team (Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok) requested 7 years in prison for former director Cho at a final hearing held on the 3rd of last month. The special prosecutor’s team criticized, “Former President Yoon Seok-yeol’s order to arrest politicians is a clear sign of rebellion that is unconstitutional and illegal, but former Director Cho used his position as Director of the National Intelligence Service to destroy evidence and violate the National Intelligence Service Act.” He continued, “In order to turn former National Intelligence Service First Deputy Director Hong Jang-won into a liar, he attacked the credibility of his statements and formed public opinion favorable to former President Yoon and those who sympathized with the rebellion.”
In his final statement at the time, former Director Cho said, “The National Intelligence Service has not done anything shameful in relation to martial law,” and “I would also like to tell you that none of the National Intelligence Service employees are on trial.”
Former Director Cho is accused of failing to report the declaration of martial law to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee even though he knew about it in advance. There are also suspicions that he violated the obligation to prohibit political involvement specified in the National Intelligence Service Act by providing the NIS closed-circuit (CC) TV footage of former Deputy Director Hong’s movements at the time of martial law declaration only to the People Power Party, and not providing the video of his movements to the Democratic Party of Korea. He is also suspected of being involved in deleting secret phone information of former President Yoon and former Deputy Director Hong.
On the same day, the first trial sentencing will be held for former Minister of National Security Park Jong-jun, who was indicted on charges of deleting secret phone information of former President Yoon, former Deputy Chief Hong, and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Bong-sik immediately after martial law. Previously, the special prosecutor’s team requested three years in prison for former Director Park, saying he intentionally deleted secret phone calls to destroy evidence related to the rebellion.
On the same day, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 13 (Presiding Judge Kim Moo-shin) will hold an appeal hearing for Geonjinbeop’s Jeon Seong-bae, who is accused of violating the Act on Procurement and Political Funding under the Aggravated Punishment Act for Specific Crimes.
At the second trial held last month, special prosecutor Kim Geon-hee’s team (special prosecutor Min Joong-ki) requested 6 years in prison for Mr. Jeon on the charge of soliciting, and 2 years in prison and a fine of 100 million won for the charge of violating the Political Fund Act.
Previously, the first trial court sentenced Jeon to six years in prison and ordered the confiscation of the Graf necklace and the collection of 180.79 million won. However, he was declared not guilty on the charges under the Political Fund Act, saying that Mr. Jeon cannot be considered a ‘politically active person’ subject to the Political Fund Act.
Mr. Jeon is accused of conspiring with Mr. Kim Geon-hee to receive a total of 80 million won in money and valuables from former Unification Church World Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho between April and July 2022 while requesting a position as an advisor to the Unification Group in return for arranging the request, and receiving 30 million won from former Headquarters Yoon. There is also a suspicion that 100 million won was received in exchange for the nomination of Gyeongbuk Provincial Assemblyman Park Chang-wook, who was a candidate during the 8th national simultaneous local election in May 2022.
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