"I Am Innocent"...Kweon Seong-dong Sends Letter From Prison After 2-Year Sentence in First Trial

[Financial News] People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, who was sentenced to a prison term in the first trial for allegedly receiving illegal political funds from the Unification Church, has released a letter from prison ahead of the Lunar New Year saying, "I am innocent." In the letter, Kweon denounced the ruling as unjust, stressed his innocence, and declared that he intends to restore his honor in the appeals court.
Kweon, who is being held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, posted on his Facebook account on the 13th a letter titled "A Letter from Kweon Seong-dong of Gangneung," beginning with, "To my beloved citizens of Gangneung,
the harsher the snowstorm, the greener the pine trees of Gangneung shine," and adding, "I will surely return to my hometown of Gangneung, carrying the spring of truth." He attached a link where readers could view the full letter from prison.
In the four-page A4 letter, Kweon wrote, "Over the past 30 years, as a prosecutor and as a five-term member of the National Assembly, my honor and my life, which I have devoted solely to the development of the nation and my hometown, have been completely denied," adding, "With a heart as if coughing up blood, I wish to tell the citizens about my innocence and the unfairness of this ruling."
On January 28, Criminal Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Woo In-seong, sentenced Kweon to two years in prison and ordered him to forfeit 100 million won on the charge of violating the Political Funds Act.
Kweon stated, "Because I was innocent, I walked into the court on my own feet and confidently underwent the warrant review. What I sought to protect, even by giving up my parliamentary immunity from arrest, was only the truth and my dignity," and went on, "However, the first-instance court turned a blind eye to this sincerity and instead sided with the special prosecutor, who had pushed ahead with an overreaching indictment."
He continued, "I have never even seen, let alone handled, what people call 100 million won in cash," and asked, "Is it really conceivable, as a matter of common sense, that in the open 63 Building, where many people come and go during lunchtime, someone would hand over and receive a shopping bag containing 100 million won in cash?"


He also commented on the investigation conducted by the Special Prosecutor's Team for Kim Kun-hee.

Kweon argued, "This is a malicious, targeted investigation by a special prosecutor created by the Democratic Party of Korea, for the Democratic Party, and of the Democratic Party," and claimed, "The donor, former headquarters chief Yoon, had written down the names of numerous Democratic Party figures in his diary, yet the special prosecutor selectively investigated and indicted only me, a senior opposition lawmaker."

He added that this "proves that the essence of this investigation is not to uncover the substantive truth, but a meticulously orchestrated act of political retaliation."
He further argued that his right to defense was violated during the special prosecutor’s investigation.

Kweon wrote, "During the investigation stage, I strongly requested a face-to-face cross-examination with the donor, but the special prosecutor ultimately refused," and pointed out, "A guilty verdict handed down amid such procedural problems can never be considered legitimate."

Kweon went on, "In my entire life, I have never coveted a single won of illicit money. The idea that I would casually accept a large sum from someone who is practically a stranger is an intolerable insult that goes against my common sense and the way I have lived," and reiterated, "The harsher the snowstorm, the greener the pine trees of Gangneung shine. I may be going through a brief winter of hardship, but I will not be broken. I will surely return to my hometown of Gangneung, carrying the spring of truth."
Both Kweon and the Special Prosecutor's Team for Kim Kun-hee have appealed the case involving his alleged violation of the Political Funds Act. The second-instance trial will be heard at the Seoul High Court.

y27k@fnnews.com Reporter Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter