An appeals court in Seoul on Thursday ordered the government to pay more compensation to the family of Cho Bong-am, former President Syngman Rhee’s political rival, who was executed on false charges of espionage in 1959.
The Seoul High Court set the damage payment at 2.97 billion won ($2.6 million), up 500 million won from a lower court ruling.
The family sued the government last year demanding 13.7 billion won after the Supreme Court overturned a guilty verdict on Cho.
The former independence fighter established the Progressive Party in 1956. He emerged as a strong challenger to Rhee in that year’s presidential election which the incumbent won. He was executed three years later after being convicted of spying for North Korea.
(
heeshin@heraldcorp.com)
