South Korea's acting justice minister says Lee Hwa-young not eligible for parole review
In short
Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo (이진수) told a parliamentary audit on October 8 that he had received no inquiry or request from the presidential office or ruling-camp officials about parole for Lee Hwa-young (이화영), the former Gyeonggi Province vice governor for peace affairs. He said Lee Hwa-young does not meet the legal requirements and is not subject to parole review. Lee Hwa-young is serving a confirmed 7-year-8-month sentence over bribery and an $8 million remittance to North Korea.
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Lee Jin-soo (이진수), South Korea's vice minister of justice and acting minister, said on October 8 that he had received no inquiry, request or message about parole for Lee Hwa-young (이화영), former vice governor for peace affairs of Gyeonggi Province, from Lee Hwa-young's side, the presidential office or ruling-camp officials. He answered "no" to a question from Yoon Sang-hyun (윤상현) of the People Power Party at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Justice Ministry at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Asked whether Lee Hwa-young was under parole review, he said he was not, because he did not meet the legal requirements. Lee Jin-soo chairs the ministry's parole review committee. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Lee Jin-soo said Lee Hwa-young had received two sentences and the law requires at least one third of each to be served before the basic requirement is met. Asked by Joo Jin-woo (주진우) of the People Power Party whether Lee Hwa-young had applied for parole, he said he had not checked, Asia Economy reported. Asked whether parole is granted while accomplices are on trial, he said there was nothing he could say while the basic requirements were not met. [ 5 , 6 ]
Lee Hwa-young is in prison after a sentence of 7 years and 8 months was confirmed for taking bribes from the Ssangbangwool (쌍방울) group and conspiring in an $8 million remittance to North Korea. Asia Economy reported that the $8 million, paid by former Ssangbangwool chairman Kim Seong-tae (김성태), covered a 2019 North Korean smart farm project and the cost of a visit to the North by Lee Jae-myung, then Gyeonggi governor and now president, and that the Supreme Court confirmed the prison sentence in June last year. Lee Hwa-young's lawyer Kim Kwang-min (김광민) had told a media outlet that he conveyed the parole wish to the president's side through several channels and said it was "hard to wait any longer". Seoul Economic Daily reported that Kim Kwang-min announced on social media on October 8 that he had left Korea to set aside extreme stress and posted a photo of his arrival at a Singapore airport. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Yoon also asked about remarks by acting Prosecutor General Lee Jung-hyun (이정현) that withdrawing charges could be considered after a fact-finding review. Lee Jin-soo said he thought the remark was made under hypothetical conditions. Yoon said a fact-finding review cannot replace a trial and that the term withdrawal of charges should not be used lightly. Lee Jin-soo said he did not believe the future committee or the prosecution's fact-finding team had set a conclusion in advance. He said the prosecution had faced much criticism as it was dismantled after 78 years, and that problems in the investigation process had to be examined before moving forward. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The official who chairs the parole review committee said Lee Hwa-young is not currently eligible for review, after Lee Hwa-young's lawyer said he had passed a parole request to President Lee Jae-myung's side. The hearing also showed opposition questions over whether a fact-finding review of the North Korea remittance case could lead to charges being withdrawn in the president's own case.
Key facts
- Lee Jin-soo, vice minister and acting minister of justice, said at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Justice Ministry on October 8 that he had received no parole inquiry or request concerning Lee Hwa-young from Lee Hwa-young's side, the presidential office or ruling-camp officials. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Lee Jin-soo said Lee Hwa-young does not meet the legal requirements and is not subject to parole review. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Lee Jin-soo chairs the Justice Ministry's parole review committee as vice minister. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Lee Jin-soo said Lee Hwa-young has received two sentences and has not served at least one third of each, the basic legal requirement. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Lee Hwa-young is serving a confirmed sentence of 7 years and 8 months for taking bribes from the Ssangbangwool (쌍방울) group and conspiring in an $8 million remittance to North Korea. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Lee Hwa-young's lawyer Kim Kwang-min (김광민) had earlier told a media outlet that he conveyed the parole wish to President Lee's side through several channels. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Lee Jin-soo said he received no inquiry or request about Lee Hwa-young's parole from the presidential office or ruling-camp officials. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Lee Jin-soo said Lee Hwa-young does not meet the legal requirements for parole review. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Lee Jin-soo said Lee Hwa-young has two sentences and has not served one third of each. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Lee Hwa-young is serving a confirmed 7-year-8-month prison sentence in the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Lee Jin-soo said he did not believe the future committee or the prosecution's fact-finding team had set a particular conclusion in advance. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Lee Hwa-young has applied for parole. Lee Jin-soo said he had not checked whether an application was filed, according to Asia Economy.
- Kim Kwang-min's trip abroad. Only Seoul Economic Daily reported that Kim announced on social media on October 8 that he had left Korea and posted a photo of his arrival at a Singapore airport.
- What response Lee Hwa-young's side would take if parole is not granted. Kim Kwang-min was reported to be considering countermeasures, but the documents give no details.
- Whether the North Korea remittance indictment was fabricated, as Lee Hwa-young's side claims. Lee Jin-soo said the prosecution human rights future committee is investigating independently and he does not know its progress.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis reports Lee Jin-soo's statement that he received no parole request and Lee Hwa-young is not subject to review. [ 2 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo carries the same report. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports the statement and Kim Kwang-min's announcement that he left Korea for Singapore. [ 4 ]
- Newsis updates its report with Lee Jin-soo's explanation that each of Lee Hwa-young's two sentences must be one-third served. [ 5 ]
- Asia Economy reports Lee Jin-soo's answers to lawmaker Joo Jin-woo on the parole application and requirements. [ 6 ]