Lee Hwa-young, the former deputy head of Gyeonggi Province, was sentenced to four months in prison for perjury on Friday [1].

The ruling concludes a high-profile legal battle over the credibility of Lee's testimony regarding alleged misconduct within the prosecutorial system. The case has drawn significant attention due to the nature of the accusations and the use of a citizen-participation trial.

The Suwon District Court delivered the sentence in the early hours of the day following the verdict [2]. The perjury charge stemmed from Lee's testimony about a "salmon drinking party" that he alleged took place at the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office on May 17, 2023 [1]. The court said that Lee's account of the event was not credible [2].

The trial was notable for its length, lasting 10 days [1]. This marks the longest citizen-participation trial to date in the jurisdiction [1]. The panel consisted of seven jurors [1]. In the final deliberation, four jurors voted that Lee was guilty of perjury [1].

While the court convicted Lee on the perjury charge, it acquitted him of violations of the political-fund law [2]. Other charges brought against the former official were also dismissed [2]. The court said there was insufficient evidence to support the political-fund law conviction [2].

Lee's legal team had argued against the perjury charges throughout the proceedings. However, the court said that the evidence did not support the existence of the drinking party as described by the defendant [2].

“Lee Hwa-young was sentenced to four months in prison for perjury.”

This conviction underscores the legal risks of providing false testimony in high-stakes political cases in South Korea. By utilizing a citizen-participation trial, the court sought a layer of public legitimacy for the verdict, while the acquittal on political-fund charges suggests a narrow judicial focus on the verifiable facts of the perjury rather than a broad condemnation of Lee's financial conduct.