Kim Geon-hee's special prosecutor team, led by Min Joong-ki, has filed an appeal against the acquittal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was charged with receiving polling services for free from political broker Myung Tae-kyun.
On October 13, the special prosecutors announced that they submitted the appeal regarding the appellate court's ruling delivered on October 7.
The special prosecutors stated, "The appellate court's judgment, which concluded that there was an agreement limited to political advice and overall assistance in the election process, excluding the polling, is difficult to understand in light of common experience."
They plan to submit a detailed appeal brief soon and will also provide a comprehensive opinion to the Supreme Court panel currently handling Kim Geon-hee's case, which involves the same charges.
Yoon is accused of conspiring with Kim to receive 58 free polling services from Myung between June 2021 and March 2022.
In the first trial, the court found Yoon guilty on 14 counts related to the polling services, sentencing him to two years in prison and ordering him to pay a fine of 13.96 million won. Myung received a sentence of one year and six months. However, the court ruled that the remaining 44 polling services could not be definitively linked to an agreement with Yoon and his wife, as they were not directly provided by Myung.
The appellate court overturned the original ruling, acquitting both Yoon and Myung. The judges stated, "There is no evidence to prove that there was an agreement to conduct or provide polling services for free between Yoon and Myung, and it is difficult to recognize the intent to donate political funds."
They added, "The polling was presented to Yoon and his wife as a means or basis for political advice, and the execution or results of the polling do not seem to be of significant importance. The political advice provided by Myung, while potentially beneficial politically, does not constitute a financial benefit, making it difficult to view it as a violation of political funding laws."
During the appellate court's decision hearing on September 11, the special prosecutors requested a four-year prison sentence for Yoon and a three-year sentence for Myung.
Previously, Kim Geon-hee was also acquitted in both the first and second trials on similar charges. The courts determined that Myung provided polling services unilaterally, without prior requests or agreements, to expand the operations of his polling firm, Future Korea Research Institute, or to enhance his political influence.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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