Top court strikes down guilty verdict for ex-defense minister in political meddling case

▲ Former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

top court-ex-defense minister

Top court strikes down guilty verdict for ex-defense minister in political meddling case

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a guilty verdict for former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin accused of political meddling surrounding elections in 2012.

Kim, who served as a defense minister between 2010 and 2014, had been sentenced to two years and four months in prison on charges of ordering the military cyber command to post online comments in favor of the then conservative government around the general and presidential elections in 2012.

The Supreme Court, however, struck down the verdict and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.

Kim, who served in two successive conservative administrations under Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, was indicted in 2018 following the election of the previous liberal government of President Moon Jae-in.

He was accused of collaborating with other senior officials to instruct the cyber command to post some 9,000 online comments favorable to the then government and critical of the then opposition party.

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