Lee Jin-soo, the acting Minister of Justice, stated that Lee Hwa-young, the former Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, does not meet the legal requirements for parole and is not currently under review.
During a national audit of the Ministry of Justice on October 8, Lee responded to a question from Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the ruling People Power Party, regarding the possibility of parole for the former vice governor, saying, "She does not qualify for parole review due to not meeting the legal requirements."
As the chair of the parole review committee, Lee explained, "The former vice governor has been sentenced to two terms. According to the law, at least one-third of the prison sentence must be served for parole eligibility. She has not met that requirement."
When asked if he had received any inquiries or requests regarding parole from Lee's side, the presidential office, or ruling party officials, he replied, "No." However, he noted that he could not confirm whether a parole application had been submitted.
Lee did not provide a timeline for when the requirements might be met. In response to a question from Joo Jin-woo, another member of the People Power Party, about when the parole conditions would be satisfied, he stated, "Since there are two sentences, there are practical issues, and we have not yet determined a timeline."
Earlier, Lee's attorney, Kim Kwang-min, claimed that he had communicated Lee's intention for parole through various channels to President Lee Jae-myung. The Ministry of Justice has maintained that Lee does not meet the legal requirements for parole.
Lee Hwa-young is currently serving a sentence of seven years and eight months, confirmed by the Supreme Court in June 2022, for accepting bribes from the Double-Dragon Group and conspiring in an $8 million remittance to North Korea. Additionally, she was sentenced to four months in prison in June for violating the National Assembly Testimony and Evidence Law.
During the national audit, questions also arose regarding the investigation into the North Korean remittance case and the possibility of dismissing charges against President Lee.
Yoon argued that an investigation cannot replace a trial, asserting that even if issues arise during the investigation, relevant materials should be submitted to the court to assess the credibility of the evidence. Lee Jin-soo responded that the investigation into the North Korean remittance case should be resolved within the established judicial procedures.
Regarding the investigation by the Ministry of Justice's Future Committee and the investigation team, he stated, "I do not believe they are proceeding with a predetermined conclusion." He explained that the investigation aims to examine the process and substance of the case amid allegations of targeted and biased investigations and fabricated charges.
In response to a question from a member of the committee about whether the prosecutor's office should apply for the resumption of the trial in the North Korean remittance case, he said, "That is a matter for the court to decide."
Lee also expressed criticism of Kim Seong-dong, the head of the prosecutor's inspection department, who publicly raised concerns about the legality of the investigation. Lee stated that there has been no infringement on the independence of prosecutors during the establishment of the Future Committee or the operation of the investigation team, and he pointed out that it was inappropriate for a prosecutor's office executive to post on an internal bulletin board, which was then reported externally. He indicated that further review is needed to determine if this behavior warrants inspection.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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