Former Park aide cleared of leak charge

The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday cleared former presidential secretary Cho Eung-cheon on charges of leaking presidential confidential information.

Cho, who had worked in the civil discipline department, was indicted in January for allegedly handing over 17 documents containing confidential information including allegations that Chung Yoon-hoi, Park’s former aide, colluded with presidential aides and meddled in state affairs by forming a secret group. Chung was Park’s chief of staff when she entered politics in the late 1990s.

Park Gwan-cheon, the police officer who was indicted alongside Cho for helping the delivery, was also found innocent of the leak charge but was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment and a penalty of 43.4 million ($38,500) for hiding public documents, receiving bribes and other charges.

From news reports