'나꼼수' 주진우·김어준 참여재판서 무죄

Published : Oct 24, 2013 - 11:23 Updated : Oct 24, 2013 - 11:58

주진우 기자 (가운데) (연합뉴스)

지난해 대선을 앞두고 박근혜 대통령의 부친 박정희 전 대통령과 동생 지만(55)씨에 대한 허위 사실을 공표한 혐의로 불구속 기소된 인터넷 팟캐스트 '나는 꼼수다' 패널 주진우 시사인 기자와 김어준 딴지일보 총수가 무죄 선고를 받았다.

서울중앙지법 형사합의27부(김환수 부장판사)는 24일 이들에 대한 국민참여재판에서 배심원들의 권고 의견을 받아들여 이들에게 무죄를 선고했다.

배심원 9명은 주씨가 지만씨에 관한 의혹을 시사인에 기사로 실은 부분에 대해서는 6명이 무죄, 3명이 유죄로 판단했다.

이런 내용을 주씨와 김씨가 나꼼수 방송에서 언급한 부분에 대해서는 무죄 의견이 5명, 유죄 의견이 4명으로 갈렸고, 박 전 대통령에 대한 사자명예훼손 혐의에 대해서는 8명이 무죄, 1명이 유죄 의견을 냈다.

재판부가 무죄를 선고하자 새벽까지 방청석을 지키고 있던 나꼼수 팬클럽 회원 등 150여명은 박수를 쏟아냈다.

주씨와 김씨는 지난해 11월 언론을 통해 지만씨가 5촌 조카 피살사건에 연루된 것처럼 허위사실을 공표하고, 한 출판기념회에서 박 전 대통령에 대한 허위사실을 말한 혐의로 기소됐다.

앞서 검찰은 "후보자 검증이라는 명목으로 특정후보 가족을 반인륜적 패륜범으로 치부해서는 안 된다"며 주씨에 대해 징역 3년, 김씨에 대해서는 징역 6월을 구형했다.

주씨는 최후진술에서 "취재하는 동안 수많은 협박을 받았지만 그래도 기사를 써야했다"며 무죄를 호소했다.

이날 재판에 증인으로 채택됐던 지만씨는 불출석 사유서를 내고 끝내 법정에 나오지 않았다.

참여재판은 22일과 23일 이틀간 진행됐다. 검찰과 변호인 측이 첨예하게 대립한데다 증인신문도 길게 이어져 선고 결과는 24일 새벽 2시가 가까워서야 나왔다.

<관련 영문 기사>

Reporter acquitted of spreading false info through murder report

A Seoul court on Thursday acquitted a well-known reporter on charges of falsely claiming that the younger brother of President Park Geun-hye was behind a murder case.

Joo Jin-woo, a reporter of the monthly news magazine Sisa IN, was cleared of charges that he spread false and defamatory information in his article that the president's younger brother, Park Ji-man, was involved in the killing of a relative.

In the same ruling, the Seoul Central District Court also delivered a not-guilty verdict for commentator Kim Eeo-joon for spreading the same false information on his popular online show.

The court adopted a jury trial system with nine jury members.

The country introduced the jury system in 2008 on a limited basis. The system is adopted when a defendant asks the court to have civilians hear the case. The jury's verdict is non-binding and the court still holds a bench trial, in which a judge makes all decisions.

In Joo and Kim's case, six out of the nine jury members delivered not-guilty verdicts and the judge sided with the jury's decision.

In the article, Joo revisited a 2011 case in which the body of a nephew of the first family of Park was found on a hiking trail near Mount Bukhan in northern Seoul. Just three kilometers from the scene, another nephew of the Park family was found hanging from a tree.

Wrapping up their investigation into the two cases, police had concluded that one nephew murdered the other before committing suicide by hanging himself due to financial disputes.

In his reports, Joo cited a legal dispute between Park Ji-man and his brother-in-law, and argued that Park was involved in the crime.

Joo, who gained national fame as a co-host of the popular online political satire "Naneun Ggomsuda," roughly translated in English as "I am a Petty-minded Creep," also allegedly made defamatory remarks against the president's late father, former President Park Chung-hee, according to prosecutors.

Joo was charged with posthumously defaming the leader Park by publicly saying that he had left a large sum of wealth worth 10 trillion won (US$9.03 billion) to his offspring.

Eight out of the nine jurors cleared Joo of the second charge as well.

Started in 2011, the show regularly stirred up allegations of wrongdoing by notable politicians and business and religious leaders. The show was suspended after December's presidential election. (Yonhap News)