Former deputy director of the National Court Administration, Lim Jong-hun, a key figure in the judicial power abuse scandal during the former Park Geun-hye administration, was given a suspended sentence in his first trial.

The Seoul Central District Court on Monday sentenced Lim to two years in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of power abuse and obstruction of exercise of one's rights.

The court convicted Lim of practically writing litigation documents on behalf of then-labor ministry in a trial regarding illegalization of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and drawing up a criminal trial strategy for former conservative lawmaker Hong Il-pyo.

The court, however, acquitted Lim of reviewing direction of compensation litigation filed by Korean victims of Japan's forced labor favorable to Japanese firms, and supervising then-foreign ministry's written opinion.

In November 2018, the former deputy was indicted on charges of scheming to enhance the status and interests of courts through a push for a new appellate court, suppressing internal and external critics, unfairly protecting the courts and creating a slush fund.