Salzburger Tageblatt - Justice Minister Nominee Lee Yong-chul’s Past Defense of ‘Yangpyeong Log Cabin’ Murderer Revealed

It has been revealed that Lee Yong-chul, the nominee for South Korea’s Minister of Justice, previously served as counsel for a convicted murderer in the notorious ‘Yangpyeong log-cabin family murder case.’ According to reports published on the 11th by Kyunghyang Shinmun, Lee represented the defendant, Jeong, during his appeal to the Supreme Court in 2003. During that proceeding, Lee argued that the death sentence imposed on Jeong was excessive and that prosecutors had engaged in coercive investigation tactics.

The case centers on a brutal crime committed in March 2002 at Jungmisan Recreation Forest in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. Jeong lured a victim, identified in court documents as Mr. A, to a log cabin under the pretense of discussing a business investment. According to the judgment, Jeong had met Mr. A in 2001 at a tennis club in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Despite being unemployed, Jeong falsely posed as a tenured professor at Seoul National University and convinced Mr. A to invest 196,530,000 won ($147,000 at the time) in a fictional site for a nuclear waste disposal facility. He promised substantial profits and offered Mr. A the position of general manager at a planned casino in Jeongseon.

Investigators found that Jeong had defrauded several other individuals using similar schemes. When Mr. A began demanding returns on his investment and asking to see results, Jeong feared exposure. He lured Mr. A to the log cabin by claiming he needed training for his new managerial role. There, Jeong administered alcohol and drugs, then killed him with a stun gun and another weapon.

To conceal the crime and make it appear as though Mr. A had murdered his family before committing suicide, Jeong also killed Mr. A’s wife, Ms. B, and their two children. He contacted Ms. B from a pay phone, inviting her to the cabin. Upon her arrival with the children, he killed them in an adjacent bungalow. Jeong then wiped fingerprints from the vehicle and other surfaces, poured flammable substances over the bodies, and set the cabin on fire.

Both the first- and second-instance courts convicted Jeong of murder, arson of an inhabited building, and mutilation of a corpse, sentencing him to death. In his Supreme Court appeal, Lee Yong-chul and other defense counsel argued that Jeong’s confession had been coerced. However, the Supreme Court rejected this claim, citing statements from fellow inmates who testified that Jeong never alleged he was beaten or tortured.

The court also upheld the death penalty, ruling that the crimes were meticulously planned and brutal. The justices noted that Jeong showed no remorse by attempting to shift blame onto the victim, and determined that his financial situation did not justify such extreme actions. Consequently, the Supreme Court found no reason to regard the death sentence as unjust.

Following the revelation of Lee’s involvement in the case, representatives for the nominee clarified his role. They stated that the case was accepted by the law firm to which Lee belonged and that he was listed as counsel formally when the firm submitted its defense team. The representatives emphasized that Lee did not substantively participate in the defense of the case.

Lee Yong-chul is currently facing scrutiny as he prepares for his confirmation hearing. On the 11th, he was seen answering questions from reporters as he headed to the office of the confirmation hearing preparation team in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The disclosure of his past legal work on behalf of a convicted serial killer and arsonist adds a layer of complexity to his nomination for one of the country’s most powerful law enforcement positions.

T.L.Goldberger--SbgTB