Lee Hwa-young’s side: “Will seek a retrial this month ... Other options are not an official position”

[Financial News] The legal team for Lee Hwa-young, former vice governor for peace of Gyeonggi Province, is expected to seek a retrial this month. It has not stated an official position on options raised by some, such as seeking parole or a stay of sentence execution.
According to legal sources on the 13th, Lee’s side will seek a retrial this month in the “Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea” case and others. Its position is to first pursue measures available through legal procedures.
That day, the legal team stressed, “Opinions or positions on matters other than parole are not the legal team’s official opinion or position.”
After failing to secure a stay of sentence execution, Lee’s side recently also argued for parole through his legal team. Lee is serving a sentence after receiving seven years and eight months in prison at the first trial for cases including the “Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea” case. He has been incarcerated since September 2022.
He later argued that he had served at least one-third of his sentence and therefore qualified for parole, but others countered that his sentence could be extended beyond its current length because trials on other charges are also underway. Lee is standing trial at the first-instance level alongside President Lee Jae-myung in another case on a third-party bribery charge. Another first-instance trial is also underway over allegations that he received bribes and illegal political funds worth around 500 million won from businesses and others. He was also sentenced to an additional four months in prison at the first trial for perjury related to the “salmon drinking party” and is appealing.
Earlier, on the 7th, Kim Kwang-min, a lawyer for Lee’s side, said, “Lee Hwa-young is very angry,” and argued, “Please grant parole.” The next day, Lee himself released a letter from prison, stating, “Attorney Kim’s claim does not reflect my true intentions.” Then, on the 10th, Kim also posted on Facebook, “I’m bearing it as if practicing spiritual discipline.”
Lee Jin-su, acting Minister of Justice, said during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s parliamentary audit on the 8th that he had received no requests regarding Lee’s parole from the presidential office or ruling-party officials. The acting minister explained that Lee does not meet the legal requirements and is not currently eligible for parole review.
[email protected] Lee Chang-hoon Reporter