The citizen participation trial for Lee Hwa-young, the former Vice Governor of Peace in Gyeonggi Province, regarding allegations of abuse of power related to North Korean projects, entered its third day on June 10.
The 11th Criminal Division of the Suwon District Court, led by Judge Song Byeong-hoon, is set to hear the case from June 10 to June 12.
Lee faces three main charges: abuse of power, obstruction of public duty, and violation of the Local Finance Act.
Prosecutors allege that the seedling and flour projects funded by Gyeonggi Province were conducted illegally to curry favor with North Korea, and that Lee was involved in these actions.
While serving as Vice Governor of Peace in 2019, Lee reportedly instructed a subordinate to falsify a report indicating that Korean fir was unsuitable for forestry use, allowing the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Committee to approve the project based on this misleading information.
The committee's approval led to Gyeonggi Province disbursing 495 million won in subsidies to the Asia-Pacific Peace Cooperation Committee, resulting in charges of obstruction of public duty and violation of the Local Finance Act.
Additionally, the Asia-Pacific Peace Cooperation Committee received 1 billion won under the guise of a flour support project, but overspent and mishandled receipts, leading to project suspension. Prosecutors argue that Lee's directive to resume the project constitutes abuse of power.
A key issue in the case is whether the seedling support project qualifies as a "humanitarian aid project" to North Korea.
Prosecutors contend that the Korean fir provided to North Korea was merely ornamental and not intended for reforestation, thus not qualifying as humanitarian aid.
They plan to substantiate their claims through testimonies from Gyeonggi Province officials, meeting minutes, documents, and witness statements, arguing that the project was a bribe to influence Kim Sung-hye, a key North Korean official.
In contrast, the defense team aims to persuade the jury that the essence of the aid project focuses on the needs of North Korea. Attorney Kim Hyun-cheol emphasized in his opening statement that past instances of South Korea providing seedlings to North Korea resulted in failure, necessitating compliance with North Korean specifications for such projects.
He argued that Gyeonggi Province had no choice but to provide the requested items to the designated contractors as per North Korea's demands, asserting that North Korea's reforestation efforts encompass both urban landscaping and afforestation.
The defense plans to present evidence, including documents detailing the pricing of the Korean fir, to demonstrate that it was not a bribe.
Following the opening statements from both the prosecution and defense, the afternoon session will involve the examination of evidence, with testimonies from relevant public officials scheduled for the evening.
On June 11, former Gyeonggi Province Peace Cooperation Director Shin Myung-seob and Ahn Boo-soo, head of the Asia-Pacific Peace Exchange Association, will take the stand as witnesses.
The trial will conclude on June 12 with the questioning of Lee by both the prosecution and defense, followed by closing arguments on the key issues, paving the way for jury deliberation and verdict procedures.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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