Former High Prosecutor Yoon Gap-geun, Acquitted in 2nd Trial Over 'Lime Lobby' Allegations, to Face Supreme Court Judgment

Yoon Gap-geun, former high prosecutor (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] Former Daegu High Prosecutor General Yoon Gap-geun, who was indicted on charges of lobbying in the Lime Asset Management (hereafter Lime) fund trial, will face a Supreme Court ruling.

According to the legal community on the 17th, the prosecution filed an appeal with the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 1-1 (Presiding Judges Lee Seung-ryeon, Eom Sang-pil, and Shim Dam) against the appellate court ruling that overturned the first trial's guilty verdict and acquitted former Prosecutor General Yoon.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon was indicted on charges of receiving 220 million KRW into a law firm account in early July 2019 from former Lime Vice President Lee Jong-pil and Kim, chairman of Metropolitan Group, along with a request to meet the Woori Bank president to resume selling Lime funds.

Yoon met Woori Bank President Sohn Tae-seung twice but has consistently denied the charges during investigations and trials, claiming he did not make any illicit requests.

Previously, the first trial court sentenced Yoon to three years in prison, judging that his meetings with the Woori Bank president were not normal legal consultations but solicitations.

On the other hand, the appellate court ruled on the 15th that "the defendant's actions fall under legal services such as representation, requests, and mediation that a lawyer can perform, and the defendant's receipt of money from the client in this regard does not constitute the crime of receiving bribes for mediation," overturning the first trial's decision and acquitting him.

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