“The acquittal in the second trial for ‘Ulsan Mayor Election Meddling’ is hard to accept.”

Kim Ki-hyun: “Strong Regret Over Court Ruling… Difficult to Contain Anger”,

[Seoul=Newsis] Photographer Choo Sang-cheol captures former Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho (left) and Hwang Un-ha, the leader of the Reform Party, leaving the courtroom after being acquitted in the appellate trial related to the ‘Blue House Investigation Orders and Election Interference Allegations,’ at the Seoul High Court on the morning of February 4th. 2025.02.04. scchoo@newsis.com,
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, ‘[Seoul=Newsis] Reporter Lee Jae-woo reports that on the 4th, the People Power Party responded to the acquittal of former Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho and Reform Party Leader Hwang Un-ha (former Ulsan Police Chief) in the appellate trial regarding the election interference allegations surrounding Moon Jae-in’s Blue House and the police, stating that it is “difficult to accept.”‘,
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, ‘Shin Dong-wook, a spokesperson for the People Power Party, commented, “While we respect the Seoul High Court’s decision, it is disappointing,” adding, “I am concerned about how many people can agree with this judgment.”‘,
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, ‘He continued, “The Seoul High Court also acknowledged that there are suspicions the charges might be guilty,” and noted that many legal experts have raised strong questions about the ruling, saying, “We are waiting for the Supreme Court’s wise judgment on appeal.”‘,
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, ‘He further stated, “As you all know, the essence of this case is that various power agencies such as the Blue House and the police allegedly intervened in the mayoral election through directed investigations and searches of opposition mayors to ensure the election of a close friend of the sitting president, whom he’s known for 30 years.”‘,
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, ‘Seo Ji-young, another spokesperson for the People Power Party, also stated in her commentary, “Judicial decisions must be respected,” but added, “In the court of public opinion, there is a strong belief of guilt, making it hard to accept today’s ruling.”‘,
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, ‘She mentioned, “As Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said, there is still another trial to go. We will watch for the final ruling together with the public.”‘,
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, ‘Kim Ki-hyun, a lawmaker who was the Ulsan mayor at the time, expressed on Facebook, “If we live in a world where the victim remains in unforgettable pain while the perpetrator walks free, is this really a nation? If there is a victim but supposedly no perpetrator, isn’t that an absurd paradox?” He expressed strong regret over what he termed a “judicial wordplay that constitutes secondary harm,” emphasizing that it’s “difficult to contain his anger.”‘,
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, ‘He pointed out, “It’s a fact that suspicions of the charges being guilty linger, yet claiming there is a lack of proof beyond reasonable doubt is not in line with common sense,” adding, “The reason the Blue House under Moon Jae-in so vehemently opposed searches and was keen on destroying evidence during the prosecution’s investigation was ultimately a trick to induce this irrational ruling.”‘,
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