The prosecution has appealed the first-instance court ruling that sentenced Shin Myung-seop, former director of the Gyeonggi Province Peace Cooperation Bureau, to a suspended prison term on charges of abuse of power and violations of the Local Finance Act in connection with North Korea aid projects.
On the 24th, the Criminal Division 6 of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Seo Hyun-wook) announced that it had filed an appeal against the first-instance ruling, which sentenced Shin to one year and six months in prison with a three-year suspended sentence, citing factual errors, misinterpretation of law, and unfair sentencing.
The prosecution challenged the not-guilty verdict on Shin’s abuse of power charge related to a North Korea sapling aid project. It argued that Gyeonggi Province provided ornamental saplings unsuitable for reforestation, ignored opposition from working-level officials, and supplied gift saplings to win favor with North Korean high-ranking officials—actions that constitute abuse of power.
Additionally, the prosecution pointed out that Gyeonggi Province’s Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Fund was used in a manner inconsistent with legal provisions.
"Shin exploited his public office for personal gain, wasted approximately 10 billion KRW in inter-Korean cooperation funds, and leaked classified Gyeonggi Province documents during the investigation and trial process," the prosecution stated, emphasizing that a heavier sentence was warranted.
Previously, the prosecution had sought a three-year prison sentence for Shin.
Shin was indicted for conspiring with former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young in September 2019 to unlawfully resume a North Korea flour aid project worth 10 billion KRW, which had been suspended due to accounting issues. He was charged with abuse of authority (obstruction of rights).
Shin was also accused of illegally taking 240 Gyeonggi Province documents upon his retirement in January 2021 for use at the Northeast Asia Peace and Economic Association, violating the Public Records Management Act. Furthermore, he allegedly secured a 1 billion KRW academic research contract from the association—a project he was involved in while in office—violating the Public Service Ethics Act.
Moreover, the prosecution charged Shin with violating the Information and Communications Network Act for allegedly directing government officials to access Gyeonggi Province's internal network unlawfully to obtain internal documents related to North Korea projects between December 2022 and March 2023, during an investigation into the Ssangbangwool Group.
However, the first-instance court acquitted Shin of charges that he had ordered officials to push forward the North Korea sapling aid project under the false pretext of "North Korean forest restoration," citing a lack of evidence for charges of obstruction of official duties and violations of the Local Finance Act.
Shin served as the director of the Gyeonggi Province Peace Cooperation Bureau from January 2019 to the end of 2020, directly under former Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young. After retiring, he worked at the Northeast Asia Peace and Economic Association, an organization founded by Lee.
Meanwhile, Shin has yet to decide whether to appeal the ruling.
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Prosecutors Appeal First-Instance Ruling on Former Gyeonggi Peace Cooperation Chief Shin Myung-seop
The prosecution has appealed the first-instance court ruling that sentenced Shin Myung-seop, former director of the Gyeonggi Province Peace Cooperation Bureau,
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