Anchor: Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho said that the government's controversial decision not to appeal a ruling in the high-profile Daejang-dong corruption case was an appropriate move because the court's penalty was higher than prosecutors had requested.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho issued a statement three days after the prosecution decided not to appeal a ruling in the Daejang-dong development case, which centered on corruption in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at the time when President Lee Jae Myung was mayor.

The minister stated that the decision was appropriate because the court had handed down a heavier punishment for breach of trust than the prosecution had requested.

Jung said he requested that prosecutors be prudent in their decision after the Supreme Prosecutors' Office(SPO) flagged grounds for appeal.

Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok, who said in an internal statement over the weekend that he had listened to the ministry's opinion and consulted with Jung Jin-woo, chief prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, did not speak further as he arrived at work on Monday.

Noh's statement contradicts that of Jung, who said a day after tendering his resignation on Saturday that he had recommended filing an appeal to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office but his proposal had been rejected.

In the wake of an internal protest, the heads of the prosecution's 18 regional branches requested, via the agency's internal network, that the acting prosecutor general provide additional explanation, saying his earlier statement lacked a detailed account and legal grounds.

Researchers at the SPO said that by deciding not to appeal, the prosecution has voluntarily given up its primary duty to keep an indictment in effect, and called on the acting chief to clarify how he intends to proceed.

On October 31, the Seoul Central District Court handed down eight-year sentences to both Kim Man-bae and Yoo Dong-gyu, key suspects in the case, and terms of four to six years to three others.

Since Kim, Yoo and the others have appealed their convictions in the absence of any action by the prosecution, they will likely receive either acquittals or, if their convictions are upheld, lighter sentences.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.