Supreme Court Confirms Not Guilty Verdict for Former NIS Director Kim Seong-ho on MB's Alleged 400 Million KRW Special Activity Fund Bribery Case

Former National Intelligence Service Director Kim Seong-ho. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The acquittal of former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Kim Seong-ho, who was indicted for allegedly paying 400 million won in special activity funds to former President Lee Myung-bak, has been finalized.

The Supreme Court's First Division (Presiding Justice Kim Seon-su) on the 25th upheld the lower court's acquittal ruling in the final appeal trial of Kim, who was charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (loss of state funds).

The court stated, "Regarding the charges, there is no proof of the crime, and thus the first trial's judgment of acquittal was maintained by the appellate court without any error that violates the principles of logic, experience, or the limits of free evaluation of evidence."

Kim was prosecuted on charges of causing a loss to the state treasury by handing over 400 million won in NIS special activity funds to former President Lee during the early months of Lee's presidency, specifically 200 million won each in March to May and April to May 2008.

The prosecution argued that the first 200 million won was delivered when Kim, who was asked by former President Lee to provide 200 million won from the NIS budget, personally handed over a travel suitcase containing the cash prepared from the NIS budget to Lee's side at the Blue House.

Regarding the second 200 million won, the prosecution claimed that after receiving an additional request for funds from former President Lee, Kim instructed former NIS Planning Director Kim Ju-seong to prepare the cash and deliver it to former Blue House General Planning Officer Kim Baek-jun, who then handed over a travel suitcase containing 200 million won near the Blue House parking lot.

The prosecution charged Kim primarily with loss of state funds under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which punishes embezzlement by accounting officials who knowingly cause loss to the state treasury, and alternatively with embezzlement in the course of duty.

However, Kim completely denied the charges, saying, "It felt like being forcibly taken to a stranger's store to perform a song," and both the first and second trial courts acquitted him, citing a lack of credibility in the testimonies of key witnesses, former Planning Officer Kim and former Director Kim.

Meanwhile, former Planning Officer Kim, who was indicted as the fund delivery agent and accused of aiding the loss of state funds, was acquitted by the Supreme Court in November 2020.

Former President Lee is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence after being convicted of personal corruption related to DAS and receiving special activity funds as bribes from former NIS Director Won Sei-hoon and others.

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