Former Judge Research Officer Yoo Hae-yong Acquitted... Supreme Court's First Ruling on 'Judicial Scandal'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Yoo Hae-yong, former Chief Judicial Researcher of the Supreme Court, who was indicted in connection with the 'Judicial Farming' scandal, was acquitted by the Supreme Court. This is the first Supreme Court ruling among the 14 current and former judges on trial for judicial farming.

The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Min Yoo-sook) on the 14th upheld the lower court's verdict acquitting former Chief Yoo, who was charged with abuse of authority.

Former Chief Yoo is accused of conspiring with Lim Jong-heon, then Deputy Director of the Court Administration Office in 2016, to instruct judicial researchers to prepare documents regarding the handling plans and progress of a patent lawsuit involving a hospital director known as the 'private medical staff' of then-President Park Geun-hye, and delivering these documents to the Blue House.

The prosecution viewed that Deputy Director Lim leaked this information to the Blue House after receiving the lawsuit status through former Chief Yoo at the Blue House's request.

Former Chief Yoo is also accused of personally taking out reports containing personal information of the lawsuit parties upon retirement and accepting cases handled during his Supreme Court tenure after opening a law practice.

The first and second trials acquitted former Chief Yoo of all charges. They stated that based solely on the evidence submitted by the prosecution, it was difficult to conclude that former Chief Yoo instructed researchers to prepare documents and delivered them to Deputy Director Lim.

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