Byun Hee-jae, chief advisor of Media Watch, was sentenced to two years in prison in the appellate trial related to the "tablet PC report." Yonhap News

Byun Hee-jae, chief advisor of Media Watch, has been sentenced to two years in prison and taken into custody in the appellate trial concerning JTBC's "Choi Soon-sil tablet PC report," which served as the fuse for the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

The 4th-2 Criminal Appeals Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judges Um Cheol, Yoon Won-mook, Song Jung-ho) sentenced Byun to two years in prison on the 2nd, upholding the initial sentence and taking him into custody. This comes seven years after the first instance ruling in December 2018.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of Byun's bail deposit of 50 million won to the state, ex officio, along with the cancellation of his bail.

Previously, Byun requested to be tried without detention in the appellate trial, arguing, "All evidence is within the tablet PC, and I cannot destroy evidence if I am released."

In response, the appellate court granted Byun's bail request in May 2019, under conditions including prohibition from participating in rallies and demonstrations related to the case, prohibition from contacting trial parties, and residential restrictions. However, the court decided to revoke the bail, citing Byun's "unrepentant attitude and his absconding."

Nonetheless, the court stated, "Respecting the original ruling," it did not increase the sentence further.

Byun was indicted on charges of disseminating information through his book "The Curse of Sohn Suk-hee" (2017) and articles in Media Watch, alleging that "JTBC conspired with former Cheong Wa Dae administrative official Kim Han-soo to obtain the tablet PC, manipulate its files, and report it as if Choi Soon-sil had used it." In December 2018, the court sentenced Byun to two years in prison in the first instance ruling.

Hanmi Ilbo Editorial Department