'Illegal Surveillance' Former NIS Director Chu Myeong-ho Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison in 1st and 2nd Trials, Appeals Filed

by Kim Daehyun

Published 18 Apr.2022 18:06(KST)

Choo Myung-ho, Former Director of the National Intelligence Service's National Interest Information Bureau [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Chu Myung-ho, former Director of the National Intelligence Service's National Interest Information Bureau, who was prosecuted for illegally surveilling civilians and public officials during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations, has appealed the prison sentences handed down in the first and second trials and will have the Supreme Court's judgment.

According to the court on the 18th, Chu's side submitted a notice of appeal to the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Park Yeon-wook, Park Won-cheol, Lee Hee-jun), which handled the second trial.

Earlier, he was prosecuted on charges including ordering surveillance of former presidential special inspector Lee Seok-su and former Woori Bank President Lee Kwang-gu, and participating in the execution of the 'blacklist,' a list excluding cultural and artistic figures from support. There is also a charge of delivering National Intelligence Service special activity funds worth a total of 155 million won to the Blue House and others.

The first and second trials found him partially guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison and two years of disqualification. The second trial court recently judged the charge of illegally surveilling former Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Organizing Committee Chairman Kim Jin-sun under the direction of former Chief Woo differently from the first trial, ruling it guilty.

Chu was also accused of political operations during the Lee Myung-bak administration and compiling the list excluding cultural and artistic figures during the Park Geun-hye administration, but both the first and second trials acquitted him of these charges.