Former Presidential Chief of Staff Roh Young-min and former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee, who were indicted on charges of exercising undue pressure on a private company to secure a job for former Democratic Party Deputy Secretary-General Lee Jung-geun, have been acquitted in their first trial.

Judge Lim Hye-won of Criminal Division 19 at the Seoul Central District Court acquitted Roh and Kim, who were indicted on charges of obstruction of business, today (the 13th).

Kwon, a former presidential secretary for personnel, and Jeon, a former director of operational support at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, who were tried along with them, were also acquitted.

Roh and the others were indicted in January of last year on charges of using the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's regulatory and supervisory powers to exert undue pressure so that political figures, including former Deputy Secretary-General Lee, could secure positions with executive-level compensation at private companies.

Prosecutors claimed that Roh, Kim, and Kwon conspired to obstruct the company's personnel operations by getting Lee appointed as a full-time advisor at Korea Complex Logistics in August 2020.

Kim had also been charged with conspiring with Jeon to exert influence in getting another individual surnamed Kim appointed as a full-time advisor at Korea Complex Logistics in July 2018.

(Photo: Yonhap News)