Park Jongjun, Former Presidential Security Chief, Acquitted in First Trial Over Deletion of Classified Phone Data of Yoon and Others

"No Intent to Destroy Evidence"

Chong Joon Park, former Director of the Presidential Security Service, who was put on trial on charges of deliberately deleting classified phone information of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and others to destroy evidence related to the December 3 Martial Law, was acquitted in the first trial.

Jongjun Park, Former Chief of Presidential Security Service. Photo by Yonhap News

The 32nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ryu Kyungjin) delivered the verdict on the case involving Park's alleged destruction of evidence on May 21, stating, "The charges have not been proven," and acquitted him. The court explained, "When the classified phone screen of Hong Jangwon, the First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, was released to the media, the President's classified phone ID was exposed. In this situation, the Head of the Support Headquarters at the Security Service and others reviewed and reported on account deletion based on what they believed was the best course of action."

The court further stated, "In hindsight, even if the measures taken were insufficient or if there was a more desirable method, this cannot be presumed as intent to destroy evidence. Considering that the defendant took action after receiving a suggestion from a working-level official and consulting with the Director of the National Intelligence Service, there is insufficient evidence to acknowledge evidence destruction."

The court also pointed out that if Park had intended to destroy evidence after the declaration of martial law, he would have taken similar actions against other individuals such as former National Police Agency Chief Cho Jiho, in addition to former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Bongsik, but he did not.

Another basis for acquittal was that following the declaration of martial law, when former President Yoon instructed the deletion of electronic information of external members, Park effectively refused the order, stating that the information would be deleted automatically.

Previously, Special Prosecutor Cho Eunsuk's team for the insurrection case had sought a three-year prison sentence, asserting that Park had deliberately attempted to destroy evidence related to martial law by deleting classified phone information of former President Yoon, former First Deputy Director Hong of the National Intelligence Service, and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim.

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