More documents on court’s alleged corruption revealed

The National Court Administration on Tuesday disclosed additional documents linked to alleged politically influenced decisions and illegal surveilling of judges conducted by the organization.

The documents, the contents of which range from public relations strategies to meetings with politicians, are likely to fan controversy the country’s judiciary has been facing since earlier this year. 

The National Court Administration is alleged to have influenced trials and surveilled judges under the direction of former Supreme Court chief Yang Seung-tae during the Park Geun-hye administration.

The actions are said to have been carried out in an attempt to ensure that a new appeals court was established. Yang denies the allegations, and the courts have rejected the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant.

The documents disclosed Tuesday are part of 410 documents the special investigation team delving into the allegations considers critical to its investigation. With 182 documents having been revealed last month, Tuesday’s batch includes 196 documents, excluding 32 that overlap with documents revealed earlier. In addition, the contents of three of Tuesday’s documents have been withheld to protect the privacy of individuals mentioned.

“The documents are disclosed in reflection of the view of members of the courts, and the public’s view,” chief of National Court Administration Ahn Chul-sang said.

The latest documents include a number of those that detail dealing with Cheong Wa Dae, as well as the National Court Administration’s strategy for dealing with the media and the National Assembly to further its cause.

One of the documents is a report on National Court Administration officials’ meeting with Rep. Lee Jung-hyun. Lee was a close aid of former President Park Geun-hye.

According to the document, Lee “actively supported” the idea of a new appeals court and approved of the National Court Administration’s plans for promoting Korea’s legal system on the global stage.

The document states that the lawmaker made a call to a senior presidential secretary during the meeting and told National Court Administration officials that he would inform them of Cheong Wa Dae’s response when the call was not connected.

The documents also include a number of those concerning conservative daily Chosun Ilbo discussing ways to utilize the paper in garnering support for the appeals court.

The latest batch of documents also includes one outlining plans to pressure former Korean Bar Association chief Ha Chang-woo, who was critical of the plans for the appeals court and Yang.

The documents include those concerning sensitive political issues, such as the trial of former lawmaker Lee Seok-ki. Lee, a member of the defunct Unified Progressive Party, was arrested in 2013 on charges of plotting a revolt and inciting unrest. He was found guilty of inciting unrest and sentenced to nine years by the Supreme Court in 2015.

The document, compiled after Lee’s appeal in which he was found guilty of inciting unrest but acquitted of plotting a revolt, describes the case and legal basis for the ruling in detail. The document also goes on to discuss the ruling’s implications for the issue of disbanding the UPP.

The UPP was later disbanded after it was found to be unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)