Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Chief Jeong Jin-woo expressed his intent to resign on the 8th. As prosecutors pushed back after the prosecution decided not to appeal the first-trial verdict for private operators including Hwacheon Daeyu major shareholder Kim Man-bae, who was indicted over alleged corruption in the Daejang-dong development, analysis suggests Jeong stepped down to take responsibility.
At about 11:56 a.m. on the day, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said in a notice sent to the press corps, "Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Chief Jeong Jin-woo expressed his intent to resign today." He quit four months after taking office in Jul.
In legal circles, there is analysis that Jeong's offer to resign is related to the prosecution's decision the previous day to forgo an appeal of the first-trial verdict for the Daejang-dong group.
Earlier, the Daejang-dong group was indicted on charges including breach of trust and, at the first-trial sentencing hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court on Oct. 31, received prison terms ranging from four to eight years. Kim Man-bae and former Seongnam Development Corporation Deputy Minister Yoo Dong-gyu were each sentenced to eight years in prison; attorney Nam Wook and accountant Jeong Young-hak were sentenced to four years and five years, respectively; and attorney Jeong Min-yong was sentenced to six years. All were taken into custody in court.
An appeal in a criminal case must be filed within seven days from the date of the verdict. But the prosecution did not appeal by the deadline at midnight on the 7th. By contrast, the five including Kim filed full appeals immediately after the verdict. In such cases, the second trial will deal only with the parts where the defendants claim unfairness. Also, the appellate court cannot impose a heavier sentence than the first trial.
However, about three hours after the decision to forgo an appeal was finalized, at 3:22 a.m. on the day, prosecutors on the investigation and trial team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said in a media notice, "The investigation and trial team tried to submit a notice of appeal on the 7th, but the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the leadership of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office issued an improper and unprecedented order of 'ban on appeal.'" The investigation team exposed the leadership's plan to forgo an appeal through the media.
A senior prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said, "It is hard to accept as common sense that the prosecution, after receiving sentences lower than the sentencing recommendations and acquittals on some charges it brought, still gave up an appeal." Another senior prosecutor said, "The Daejang-dong trial panel said it was difficult to calculate the amount of loss and applied occupational breach of trust instead of breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes to the Daejang-dong group, and that, too, should have been reviewed again on appeal."