Appeal trial for Lee Hwa-young's 'salmon party perjury' charge begins on the 11th of next month

(Suwon = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Sol = The appeal trial of Lee Hwa-young, former vice-governor of Gyeonggi Province, who was sentenced to four months in prison in the first trial on charges of perjury for raising suspicions about the so-called 'Suwon District Prosecutor's Office salmon drinking party', will begin next month.

According to the legal community on the 1st, Suwon High Court's Criminal Division 2 (Chief Judge Kim Geon-woo) will hold the first appeal trial for former Deputy Governor Lee, who was indicted on charges of violation of the National Assembly Testimony Act (perjury), abuse of power and obstruction of the exercise of rights, at 3:30 pm on the 11th of next month.

Previously, former Deputy Governor Lee was sentenced to four months in prison at the first trial of this case held on June 20.

At the time, the first trial court found former Deputy Governor Lee guilty only on the charge of perjury after a 10-day public participation trial, the longest in history.

On the charge of violating the Political Fund Act (split sponsorship), he was acquitted by accepting a unanimous verdict of not guilty by the jury, and on the charge of abuse of power, he dismissed the indictment ex officio, pointing out that the prosecution's method of indictment was an 'abuse of the power of public prosecution.'

Former Lieutenant Governor Lee's defense team appealed on the grounds of misconception of facts, misunderstanding of the law, and unfair sentencing, and the Public Prosecution Service also decided to seek a higher-level decision on charges such as abuse of power.

Accordingly, in the upcoming appellate trial, a second legal battle between the two sides is expected to take place over the legal validity of the Public Prosecution Office's 'split indictment' and the truth of the 'salmon drinking party' claim.