Eugene Group Chairman Yoo Kyung-sun, who failed to appear as a witness at a parliamentary audit on the privatization of broadcaster YTN, citing an overseas business trip, has been acquitted by a lower court. Prosecutors have appealed the ruling.
Senior Judge Lee Se-chang of the Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Division 8 acquitted Yoo on the 16th of this month on charges of violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal at the National Assembly, legal sources said on the 28th.
Yoo was indicted on charges of failing to appear without justifiable cause after being designated as a witness for the National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee's audit of the Korea Communications Commission on Oct. 15, 2024.
The committee voted on Sept. 24 that year to call Yoo as a witness to question him on issues including the privatization of YTN. Yoo received a summons issued in the name of the committee chair on Oct. 2, but left for Australia on Oct. 13 and did not attend the audit. On Oct. 10, before departing, he submitted a written explanation for his absence citing the overseas trip.
The court found it difficult to conclude that the trip was intended to avoid the audit, noting that the schedule had been set before Yoo was designated as a witness. The court did, however, acknowledge that Yoo had not appeared despite receiving the summons.
Prosecutors initially sought a summary indictment with a fine of 5 million won. Yoo requested a formal trial, and prosecutors again sought a 5 million won fine in court. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office filed an appeal with the court on the 22nd of this month, contesting the acquittal.
