Former National Intelligence Service Deputy Director Choi Yoon-soo Involved in 'Blacklist', Suspended Sentence in Appeal Trial

Choi Yoon-soo, Former 2nd Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Choi Yoon-soo, former Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), who was prosecuted for involvement in the 'blacklist' operation excluding support for cultural and artistic figures during the Park Geun-hye administration, was sentenced to a suspended prison term again in the appellate trial.

On the afternoon of the 14th, the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Park Yeon-wook, Kim Gyudong, Lee Hee-jun) sentenced former Deputy Director Choi, who was charged with violating the National Intelligence Service Act, to 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension and a 1-year disqualification.

Previously, former Deputy Director Choi was indicted without detention on charges of participating in creating the blacklist and notifying the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. He is also accused of approving and directing the process in which former Director of National Interest Information Bureau Chu Myung-ho reported to former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Woo Byung-woo after surveilling former Special Inspector Lee Seok-soo and officials of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In the first trial, the court found him guilty of involvement in the blacklist and sentenced him to 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension and a 1-year disqualification. However, the charge of approving the reporting process to former Senior Secretary Woo was judged not guilty. Although former Deputy Director Choi had multiple phone calls with former Senior Secretary Woo, it was reasoned that the possibility of calls made to verify facts due to personal acquaintance could not be excluded.

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