Following Chief Justice Jo Hee-de, cases have emerged in which frontline judges are being sued under the "law distortion" offense.
According to legal sources on the 16th, A, the general representative of the Smart Solutions (formerly Edison EV) shareholders' alliance, filed a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on the 14th seeking punishment of Presiding Judge Kim Sang-yeon, who handled the so-called "SsangYong Motor asset-stripping allegation" first trial of former Edison Motors Chairman Kang Young-kwon, on charges including the law distortion offense.
Through the complaint, A said, "The accused intentionally rejected core facts that were clearly proven during the trial in order to confer the unlawful and unjust benefit of acquittal on defendants in certain major economic crime cases," and argued, "This was a typical 'law distortion and judicial manipulation crime' that twisted and applied clear statutes established by Supreme Court precedents in an arbitrary manner."
Earlier, on Mar. 3, Presiding Judge Kim Sang-yeon of the 13th Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Court sentenced the former chairman, who had been indicted on charges including violations of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, to three years in prison and a fine of 500 million won. However, the court did not remand Kang to custody, considering that he had been detained for a considerable period. The court acquitted him of charges including breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes.
From May 2021 to Mar. 2022, the former chairman is accused of reaping unfair gains totaling 162.1 billion won by hyping Edison EV's share price with positive news of a planned acquisition of SsangYong Motor and false disclosures. At the time, Edison Motors was selected as the preferred bidder to acquire SsangYong Motor, but the merger fell through when it failed to pay the remaining acquisition price, and Edison EV, whose stock price plunged, was ultimately delisted. Countless small shareholders were left bearing the losses.
The law distortion offense centers on punishing prosecutors and judges with up to 10 years in prison or suspension of qualifications when they distort and apply the law during investigation, indictment, or trial for an improper purpose. On the first day the law distortion offense took effect, Mar. 12, Chief Justice Jo Hee-de was reported to police in connection with the trial of President Lee Jae-myung's Public Official Election Act case, becoming the first person reported under the "law distortion offense."