Lee Hwa-young's side: “I am a victim of a fabricated investigation ... pursuing redress through the UN”

[Financial News] Lee Hwa-young, a former vice governor of Gyeonggi Province for Peace who is serving time in prison over the Ssangbangwool Group remittance-to-North-Korea case, lamented, “I am a victim of state violence perpetrated by unlawful prosecutorial power,” and added, “I ask the state to correct this harm.”
Lee’s legal representative, attorney Kim Gwang-min, said this in a Facebook post on the 14th titled “I convey the words of former vice governor Lee Hwa-young.” Kim said he was sharing Lee’s position after visiting him at Suwon Detention Center the previous day (the 13th).
Kim had previously told the media and others that “Lee Hwa-young was very angry” and conveyed the position, “Please grant me parole.” The very next day, after Lee released a letter from prison saying, “This is not what I truly meant,” Kim said, “I will say no more,” adding, “The truth will naturally come to light over time.”
Kim emphasized, “Former vice governor Lee has never once attacked President Lee. He did not attack him and then change his position when the matter escalated, nor did he devise a new calculated strategy to secure his release.”
In particular, he said, “It was my shortcoming that I failed to convey his feelings fully and made it seem like an attack on the president. I am truly sorry that I may have placed yet another burden on him. I sincerely apologize, taking this opportunity.”
Lee’s side plans to seek redress from the UN Human Rights Committee. The reason is that the National Human Rights Commission cannot rule on matters related to ongoing trials. The ongoing trial also became an obstacle to the parole Lee’s side had pursued. Although he has served at least one-third of the sentence under the finalized judgment, a further conviction could extend his prison term. 
Lee’s side continues to maintain that the investigation and ruling in the bribery case, in which his conviction became final alongside the North Korea remittance case, were fabricated. Kim said Lee had told him, “It is no way to treat a comrade with respect to portray me as a bribery offender.”
Lee’s defense team plans to seek a retrial in the Ssangbangwool remittance-to-North-Korea case sometime next week. The retrial petition is to be filed with the Suwon High Court, which handed down the appellate ruling in the case.
Lee was indicted on charges including receiving about 334 million won in political funds and bribes from the Ssangbangwool Group and conspiring in a remittance to North Korea worth $8 million. The Supreme Court finalized his sentence at seven years and eight months in prison, and he is currently serving it.
Last June, he received an additional four-month prison sentence following a jury trial on perjury charges related to allegations of coercion in the so-called “salmon-and-liquor party.”

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