Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of the late Lee Dae-joon, held a press conference immediately after the verdict, stating, "Today is a day of judicial atrocity where the judiciary itself denied the value of the constitution, and a day when the nation forgot its reason for existence." He announced his intention to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek a ruling from the international judicial body. ⒸHanmi Ilbo

Seo Hoon, former head of the National Security Office at the Blue House, and Kim Hong-hee, former Commissioner of the Coast Guard, who were indicted in connection with the 'West Sea Public Official Shooting Incident' that occurred in 2020, were acquitted again in the second trial (appeal).

The Criminal Appeals Division 3 of the Seoul High Court ruled that "the Coast Guard's announcement of voluntary defection was a reasonable judgment based on intelligence at the time, and therefore cannot be considered as the creation of false official documents or defamation."

Park Jie-won, former Director of the National Intelligence Service, and Seo Wook, former Minister of National Defense, who were acquitted in the first trial, have had their not-guilty verdicts finalized as the prosecution waived its right to appeal.

Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of the late Lee Dae-joon, held a press conference immediately after the verdict, stating, "Today is a day of judicial atrocity where the judiciary itself denied the value of the constitution, and a day when the nation forgot its reason for existence." He announced his intention to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek a ruling from the international judicial body.

Lee Rae-jin stated that he has fought for the past seven years, sacrificing everything in the face of the appalling situation where power deceived the public through manipulation and incitement, and silenced them. He added, "I will expand the front lines to uncover the truth about whose interests today's verdict serves."

Lee specifically stated that he will officially file a complaint with the International Criminal Court and the International Maritime Organization to seek a ruling under international law. He explained that he will rely on international law, which he considers more impartial, as there are questions about the integrity of this verdict, which was based on subordinate laws.

He expressed his disbelief, saying, "When the political prosecution waived its appeal, it was already a foregone conclusion. I knew from the beginning that they intended to rush through the second trial, but today's verdict has shown me that the judiciary can condone crimes."

He then stated that after expanding his legal review, he will decide whether to accept the second trial's outcome and will re-examine the illegality of "all individuals involved from September 22, 2020, to today."

Furthermore, he criticized the court's "petty behavior" for trying to find a way out by forcibly interpreting an exception clause as the basis for deleting intelligence in the first trial, emphasizing that the constitution clearly states that higher laws cannot be ignored.

"I intend to examine the legality based on the contents of the first trial ruling under international law. The act of a nation failing to do its job and blaming its citizens is something that dictators, not normal nations, would do. How can you consider a regime and power that misused their authority for their own crimes as normal?"

Lee Rae-jin warned, along with these claims, "While offering words of comfort, they are manipulating and concealing evidence and shamelessly claiming innocence, believing it is enough that they were acquitted. I will judge this absurd and brazen behavior along with the public."

He asserted, "Politics cannot reign above the people, and power must bow its head before the people. Politics is not power, and the nation should be a well-functioning system for its citizens. If power and politics leave a stain on the people, being judged is true liberal democracy."

He further vowed, "For a nation to be loved and power to be respected, its use must exist for the people. Even if I have to shed tears and blood again from the wounds of the past seven years, I will not stop. I will cooperate with the international community to uproot the atrocities committed by North Korea and this country."

At the end of the press conference, Lee Rae-jin cried out the following:

"I asked what South Korea did on September 22, 2020, and the nation, exploiting its systems, was busy erasing things and turned its back on the people. The nation failed to do its job, power killed its citizens, and committed the atrocity of concealing even the bodies. A stain is also history and has clear value for preservation. Since when did crime claim legitimacy, and when did this country become one where criminals speak loudly and victims bow their heads? The damaged judicial system should not defend the wrongdoers of the state but should be used solely to protect and safeguard its citizens. I will stand proudly before the command of justice and protect my family's honor."

Reporter Lim Yo-hee