The family of the civil servant shot and killed in the West Sea case pushed back against the prosecution's partial appeal, calling it a "selective and strategic half-hearted appeal."
In a statement distributed on the 3rd, the attorney for the family of the civil servant killed in the West Sea said the prosecution "did not file an appeal on key charges such as abuse of authority and cover-up of the case on the grounds of lack of practical benefit," and stated accordingly.
The attorney said, "The reason the Criminal Procedure Act grants the right to appeal only to prosecutors is because we trust they will judge the propriety of exercising the state's power to punish as representatives of the public interest," adding, "This raises serious questions about whether the prosecutor is truly fulfilling the role as a representative of the public interest."
Earlier, on the last day of the appeal deadline, the prosecution filed a partial appeal in connection with the case of the alleged cover-up of the West Sea civil servant's killing, in which all defendants were acquitted at the first trial. On appeal, only charges such as fabrication and use of false official documents, defamation, and defamation of the deceased against former Office of National Security chief Seo Hoon and former Korea Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee will be addressed. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won and former Minister of National Defense Seo Wook were finalized as not guilty.
The attorney said, "The key issues in this case are whether the state fulfilled its duty to protect life as a civil servant was killed by North Korean soldiers, and further, whether there was an organized cover-up or abuse of authority during the subsequent investigation and information disclosure process," adding, "This is a grave matter that goes beyond a simple defamation issue and gauges state responsibility."
The attorney continued, "Nevertheless, the prosecution filed an appeal only on some charges, including defamation," pointing out, "This amounts to the prosecution voluntarily abandoning its status as a representative of the public interest under the Criminal Procedure Act, and it squarely contradicts the expectations of the bereaved family, who have demanded the truth be brought to light."
The attorney added, "This coincides with the situation in which high-ranking political figures, including the president, the prime minister, and the ruling party leader, have publicly criticized the very indictment of the case," saying, "The prosecution's half-hearted appeal can only be seen as the result of political pressure rather than a legal judgment."