Prosecutors dropped their bid to appeal after former Democratic Party of Korea leader Song Young-gil, who was indicted over alleged cash envelope distribution at the party's national convention, was acquitted on appeal. As a result, Song's acquittal is now final. Song was acquitted after the court ruled that key evidence submitted by prosecutors was collected unlawfully.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said on the 20th it would not appeal the appellate ruling in the case against Song on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office noted, "We took into account that the Supreme Court recently dismissed the prosecution's appeal in former lawmaker Lee Seong-man's case related to the party leadership primary, and that courts are taking a strict view on the admissibility of seized materials."
It added, "We will closely review overall practices in search-and-seizure operations going forward and actively make improvements where needed."
Song was suspected of conspiring with campaign staff ahead of the Democratic Party of Korea's May 2021 national convention, at which he was elected party leader, to prepare and distribute 3 million won cash envelopes to Democratic Party lawmakers. Prosecutors presented a mobile phone recording file by the former vice chief as evidence.
While investigating this file, prosecutors additionally indicted Song after detecting suspicions that, through his outside organization "Institute for Peace and Livelihood Issues (Meoksayeon)," he received 763 million won in illegal political funds from corporations and others.
The court of first instance found some charges proved and handed down a prison term. It admitted the admissibility of seized materials related to the allegation that Song received political funds through Meoksayeon.
However, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Yoon Seong-sik) acquitted Song on the 13th. The appellate court did not admit the admissibility of the key evidence, the former vice chief's mobile phone recording file.
Earlier, on the 12th, the Supreme Court ruled in former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Seong-man's case that the recording file was illegally collected and therefore inadmissible. Accordingly, even if prosecutors appealed, it was expected to be difficult to overturn Song's ruling.
That afternoon, Song visited the Democratic Party of Korea's Incheon City Chapter and submitted an application to rejoin. It comes three years after he left the party over the "cash envelope case." There is speculation that Song could run in a by-election for the Incheon Gyeyang B constituency, which was his former district.
Song resigned his National Assembly seat when he ran for Seoul mayor in the local elections held after the 2022 presidential election. In the by-election held then, President Lee Jae-myung was elected. The Incheon Gyeyang B National Assembly seat became vacant when Lee won the presidential election.