Lee Hwa-young's appeal for "Double Drops of Remittance to North Korea" commuted...7 years and 8 months in prison

Suwon High Court Sentenced Lee Hwa-young to Seven Years and Eight Months in Prison for 'Remittance to North Korea'
Fine and additional charges remain the same in the first trial...The sentence will be reduced to one year and ten monthsDouble Drops Remittance to North Korea Maintains Judgment that Gyeonggi-do Minister
"There is no light responsibility because it violates fairness in the execution of public affairs."

[Anchor]
Lee Hwa-young, a former vice governor of peace in Gyeonggi-do Province who was put on trial for his involvement in the illegal remittance of Ssangbangwool Group to North Korea, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison by an appeals court.

Although the sentence was less than that of the first trial, former lieutenant governor Lee protested that the prosecution itself was illegal.

I'm connecting with the reporter. Reporter Lim Yejin!Please explain the result of sentence



[Reporter]
Yes, the Suwon High Court today sentenced Lee Hwa-young, a former vice governor of peace in Gyeonggi Province, to seven years and eight months in prison for his involvement in the case of Ssangbangwool Group's transfer of money to North Korea.

In addition, as in the first trial, he ordered a fine of 250 million won and an additional fine of 325.95 million won.

The sentence was 1 year and 10 months less than the 9 years and 6 months in prison in the first trial.

Although the sentence was reduced, the judgment that Ssangbangwool paid $8 million to North Korea on behalf of Gyeonggi-do remained the same as the original trial.

The appeals court pointed out that former lieutenant governor Lee is not lighthearted in his responsibilities, such as abandoning fairness and social trust in the execution of public affairs.

However, regarding bribery and alleged violations of the Political Fund Act, he did not go as far as dishonest as a politician,

explained the background of the sentencing, saying that there is no reason why the former lieutenant governor forced Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, to pay for the expenses.

Former lieutenant governor Lee was put on trial from 2019 to 2020 on charges that the Ssangbangwool Group paid $8 million to North Korea in the name of the cost of visiting Lee Jae-myung, then governor of Gyeonggi Province, and the smart farm project,
He is also accused of taking around 330 million won in bribes and illegal political funds from former Ssangbangwool Group Chairman Kim Sung-tae
.

The former deputy governor's lawyer said it is regrettable that the court has admitted all the evidence fabricated by the prosecution.

At the same time, he showed his willingness to appeal, claiming that the prosecution itself was an illegal case.

The ruling is also expected to affect the trial of Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, in the case of a third-party bribery case for remittance to the North.

Currently, CEO Lee has filed an application for a judge's challenge to the Criminal Department 11 of the Suwon District Court, which is the court, and the trial has been suspended.

I'm YTN Lim Yejin from the social studies department.