Overview
- Seoul Central District Court found Suh Hoon, Park Jie-won, Suh Wook, Kim Hong-hee and Noh Eun-chae not guilty over alleged concealment of the case.
- The bench said the prosecution’s theory would require assuming defiance of then-President Moon Jae-in’s orders to release verified information, which it found untenable.
- Prosecutors had alleged confidentiality instructions, circulation of documents suggesting defection and deletion of intelligence, and sought prison terms of up to four years.
- The case stems from the Sept. 22, 2020 killing of fisheries official Lee Dae-jun by North Korean soldiers near the Yellow Sea border and the burning of his body.
- The victim’s brother called the verdict nonsensical and said he will explore how to contest it, as the probe had been revived in 2022 following a state audit request under Yoon Suk Yeol.