Prosecutors Demand 1-Year Prison Sentence for Author Claiming 'DJ Requested North Korean Troop Deployment'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The prosecution has requested the court to sentence a writer who claimed that the late former President Kim Dae-jung requested North Korea to dispatch special forces during the May 18 Democratic Uprising to imprisonment.

On the afternoon of the 8th, the prosecution demanded a one-year prison sentence at the sentencing trial of Lee, a defector-turned-writer, on charges of defamation of the deceased, presided over by Judge Jin Jae-kyung of the Criminal Division 3 at the Seoul Western District Court.

In his 2017 book "Borappeut Hosu" (Purple Lake), Lee claimed that "former President Kim requested North Korean leader Kim Il-sung to dispatch special forces during the May 18 incident." In response, the late Lee Hee-ho, wife of former President Kim, filed a complaint against Lee at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office in March last year. She passed away in June, three months later. The prosecution investigated and indicted Lee without detention in November last year.

The prosecution stated, "There is freedom of expression in the Republic of Korea, but freedom comes with responsibility. To assert something as fact beyond merely presenting an opinion, sufficient efforts for verification must be made, especially if the matter has been judged by the judiciary or has significant social repercussions."

Regarding this, Lee's defense attorney said, "At the time of the complaint, the late Lee Hee-ho was 98 years old and repeatedly hospitalized and discharged due to deteriorating health, making normal conversation difficult as seen in media interviews. Therefore, the complaint was not filed according to the true intention of the complainant, so we request dismissal of the prosecution."

Regarding Lee's claim, the defense also stated, "In North Korea, former President Kim Dae-jung is known to have cooperated with Kim Il-sung and led operations in person. Even if it is false, as the defendant was born and raised in North Korea, there was no intent to spread falsehoods," and requested the court to acquit him.

Lee's sentencing date is scheduled for the 6th of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.