Justice delayed is justice denied
Published: 30 Nov. 2023, 20:12
Figures accused of interference in the 2018 Ulsan mayoral election were found guilty in their first trial. Former Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho, a long-time friend of former President Moon Jae-in, and opposition lawmaker Hwang Un-ha, then chief of Ulsan police, were sentenced to three years in prison while Baek Won-woo, a former aide to Moon, was slapped with a two-year jail term. The bench judged their crime of election-meddling using their power in the police and presidential office for their political gains as being “grave.”
Then-Ulsan Mayor Kim Gi-hyeon, current leader of the governing People Power Party (PPP), came under police investigation ahead of the mayoral election in 2018. His office was raided in March after Kim was nominated to rerun for the mayoral post. The raid plan was reported to the presidential office. While Kim’s support rate sank to 29.1 percent in April from 40 percent in February, his rival Song’s jumped to 41.6 percent from 19.3 percent. At that time, Song In-taek, head of the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office, left a 95-page statement condemning the biased police investigation that he claimed was tantamount to a felony of destroying national order for a political purpose.
The judge concluded that Song, Hwang and presidential aides had colluded to target an aide to Kim to ruin his re-bid for the mayoral post. The strong sentences on them reflected the need to prevent such a recurrence from damaging public interest.
Their boss Im Jong-seok, Moon’s chief of staff, and Cho Kuk, the senior secretary for civil affairs, avoided punishment as they were not indicted by prosecutors. But that doesn’t mean they do not share the moral responsibility. Former President Moon, whose name was mentioned 35 times in the prosecutorial indictment, must express an apology for the affair. If not for his close relationship with Song, the presidential office would not have intervened or pulled the police into the crime.
The trial had not been easy. It took 18 months for the investigation to start after allegations surfaced. From the prosecutorial indictment in January 2020 to the first trial, it took nearly four years. Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, under the Moon presidency, even disbanded an investigation team. The judge did not even hold a hearing more than a year after the indictment. The justice came nearly six years late.
In the meantime, Song was able to finish his four-year term. Hwang can actually run in the April parliamentary election as much time is left until the final trial at the Supreme Court. Justice delayed is justice denied. Election criminals must be severely punished to prevent any illegal attempt that damages our national discipline. The court must act faster so as not to deny justice.
Then-Ulsan Mayor Kim Gi-hyeon, current leader of the governing People Power Party (PPP), came under police investigation ahead of the mayoral election in 2018. His office was raided in March after Kim was nominated to rerun for the mayoral post. The raid plan was reported to the presidential office. While Kim’s support rate sank to 29.1 percent in April from 40 percent in February, his rival Song’s jumped to 41.6 percent from 19.3 percent. At that time, Song In-taek, head of the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office, left a 95-page statement condemning the biased police investigation that he claimed was tantamount to a felony of destroying national order for a political purpose.
The judge concluded that Song, Hwang and presidential aides had colluded to target an aide to Kim to ruin his re-bid for the mayoral post. The strong sentences on them reflected the need to prevent such a recurrence from damaging public interest.
Their boss Im Jong-seok, Moon’s chief of staff, and Cho Kuk, the senior secretary for civil affairs, avoided punishment as they were not indicted by prosecutors. But that doesn’t mean they do not share the moral responsibility. Former President Moon, whose name was mentioned 35 times in the prosecutorial indictment, must express an apology for the affair. If not for his close relationship with Song, the presidential office would not have intervened or pulled the police into the crime.
The trial had not been easy. It took 18 months for the investigation to start after allegations surfaced. From the prosecutorial indictment in January 2020 to the first trial, it took nearly four years. Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, under the Moon presidency, even disbanded an investigation team. The judge did not even hold a hearing more than a year after the indictment. The justice came nearly six years late.
In the meantime, Song was able to finish his four-year term. Hwang can actually run in the April parliamentary election as much time is left until the final trial at the Supreme Court. Justice delayed is justice denied. Election criminals must be severely punished to prevent any illegal attempt that damages our national discipline. The court must act faster so as not to deny justice.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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