Prosecution Seeks 1 Year 6 Months Imprisonment for Kim Ki-chun in Appeal Trial over Sewol Ferry Report Manipulation

Kim Jang-su Sentenced to 2 Years and 6 Months in Prison; Kim Kwan-jin Requested to Serve 2 Years

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The prosecution has requested a sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison for former Blue House Chief of Staff Kim Ki-chun, who was indicted on charges of falsifying the number and times of reports made to former President Park Geun-hye on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster.

On the 14th, at the sentencing hearing held by the Criminal Division 13 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Gu Hoe-geun), the prosecution asked the court to hand down such a sentence regarding the charges of falsifying official documents against former Chief Kim Ki-chun and others.

The prosecution also requested prison sentences of 2 years and 6 months and 2 years respectively for former National Security Office Chiefs Kim Jang-soo and Kim Kwan-jin, who were indicted together.

The prosecution defined the case as "an incident in which the defendants used their power to distort facts and deceive the public to evade responsibility after the previous government's Blue House responded inadequately to the Sewol ferry accident, resulting in a large number of casualties."

The prosecution stated, "Although objective facts were recognized, the lower court acquitted them on the grounds of mistake or lack of criminal intent. We ask the court to determine whether it can truly be said that they had no criminal intent or will, and even if not, whether they can be granted immunity."

Former Chiefs Kim Ki-chun and Kim Jang-soo are accused of submitting to the National Assembly false information regarding the time former President Park received her first telephone report and the number of written reports on April 16, 2014, the day of the Sewol ferry disaster.

Former Chief Kim Kwan-jin was indicted on charges of unlawfully altering the presidential decree (Basic Guidelines for National Crisis Management) that designated the Blue House as the national crisis management control tower without following proper procedures (damage to official documents, etc.).

In the previous first trial, former Chief Kim Ki-chun was sentenced to 1 year in prison with a 2-year probation. Considerations included his advanced age, poor health, and that he was already serving a prison sentence for other crimes at the time.

Former National Security Office Chiefs Kim Jang-soo and Kim Kwan-jin were acquitted on the grounds of lack of awareness that the documents were false or insufficient evidence.

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