'DJ Overseas Slush Fund Investigation' Former Vice Commissioner of National Tax Service Park Yoon-jun Also Acquitted in Second Trial

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Park Yoon-jun, former deputy commissioner of the National Tax Service, who was prosecuted for allegedly colluding with the National Intelligence Service during the Lee Myung-bak administration to conduct a background investigation on former President Kim Dae-jung, was acquitted again in the appellate court.

The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 9 (Presiding Judge Han Gyu-hyun) on the 16th acquitted Park, who was charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (loss of state funds), just as in the first trial.

Park was indicted on charges of involvement in the National Intelligence Service’s background investigation into former President Kim’s overseas slush funds during the period from 2010 to early 2012, while working as the International Tax Officer at the National Tax Service, under the direction of then Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner Lee Hyun-dong. He was accused of using about 400 million won of NIS funds, which were supposed to be used for North Korean operations, for overseas informants related to the investigation of Kim’s overseas slush fund suspicions.

However, the court ruled that Park did not embezzle NIS funds while knowing that he was causing loss to the state treasury in collusion with former NIS Director Won Sei-hoon. The court also acquitted him of the charges of aiding and abetting loss of state funds and aiding and abetting embezzlement, which the prosecution added as alternative charges in the appellate trial.

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