(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Young-seup = Former Presidential Security Service Director Park Jong-joon, who was indicted on charges of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant by the Senior Public Officials Crime Investigation Office for former President Yoon Seok-yeol, received a reduced sentence in the second trial.
On the 28th, the 1st Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court (Chief Judge Yoon Seong-sik) sentenced former Director Park, who was sent to trial on charges of special obstruction of official duties, to three years in prison.
Previously, the first trial sentenced him to four years in prison. Cho Eun-seok, the special prosecutor for the civil war, had requested a seven-year prison sentence.
Kim Seong-hoon, former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency, who was also indicted, was sentenced to five years in prison, the same as in the first trial.
Lee Kwang-woo, former head of the National Security Headquarters, was sentenced to two years in prison, and Kim Shin, former head of the Family Security Department, was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation.
Like the first trial, the second trial court found former Director Park and others guilty of interfering with the entry into the official residence when the Corruption Investigation Office, which was investigating former President Yoon's alleged rebellion, attempted to execute an arrest warrant in January last year.
The first trial also upheld the guilty verdict on the charge of former Director Kim being involved in deleting secret phone information of three military commanders who were under investigation under the direction of former President Yoon (violation of the Presidential Security Act).
The court criticized former Director Park, saying, "He directed the overall actions of the National Security Agency at the time and actually led to a physical conflict," and added, "Considering the defendant's history, he should bear corresponding legal responsibility as he committed the crime despite being fully aware of the illegality of refusing to execute the arrest warrant."
He continued, "However, it does not appear that he actively intended to cause physical conflict with the officials in charge of executing the warrant, and his resignation on January 7 last year can be seen as an acknowledgment of his responsibility as a top officer and a resignation from his position."
He said, “Considering all these conditions, the first trial sentence is heavy and unfair.”
Regarding former Deputy Director Kim, it was judged that “the National Security Agency played a key role in systematically resisting the execution of the warrant,” and that “even considering all the circumstances, including the fact that he showed a remorseful attitude, the sentence in the first trial was neither too heavy nor too light.”
Former Director Park was separately indicted on charges of deleting secret phone information of former President Yoon and others (destruction of evidence) after the martial law situation and is currently awaiting the Supreme Court's decision.
The first trial found him not guilty, but the second trial overturned his conviction and sentenced him to one year in prison, saying that former Director Park approved the deletion of private phone information despite knowing that it would disappear.
