Prosecutors withdrew their appeal to the Supreme Court against the appellate rulings for Heo Jong-sik of the Democratic Party of Korea, who faces allegations of receiving "envelopes of cash," and former lawmakers Youn Kwan-suk and Lim Jong-seong, who left the same party.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said on the 25th that it had withdrawn the appeals against them, noting it considered the intent of the Supreme Court ruling that judged the mobile phone voluntarily submitted by former Democratic Party deputy secretary-general Lee Jung-keun, a key piece of evidence in the case, to be illegally obtained.
Heo and others are accused of exchanging envelopes of cash ahead of the Democratic Party of Korea convention in 2021 to secure the election of Song Young-gil, then a candidate for party leader. In the convention, Song was elected leader.
Prosecutors also withdrew their appeal to the Supreme Court against the appellate ruling in the case involving violations of the Political Parties Act by Park Yong-su, an aide to leader Song. Park is also accused of receiving political funds related to the distribution of envelopes of cash.
Because the admissibility of the recordings from the former deputy secretary-general's mobile phone was not recognized, former and current Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers, including former leader Song, were acquitted one after another on appeal. Former lawmaker Lee Seong-man was finally acquitted when the Supreme Court on the 12th dismissed the prosecution's appeal.