Im Jong-sik Acquitted in Appeal Over Bribery Charges

Im Jong-sik (임종식), the Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Province, was acquitted of bribery charges on June 19, 2025, by the Daegu High Court. This ruling overturned a previous sentence of two years and six months in prison handed down by a lower court. The court found that the evidence presented by the prosecution was obtained unlawfully, leading to the dismissal of the charges against Im and five co-defendants.

Im was accused of providing approximately 39 million won in bribes to campaign officials during the Gyeongbuk Superintendent election held in June 2018. The initial ruling in January had also imposed a fine of 35 million won on him. However, the appellate court determined that much of the evidence used against him was inadmissible due to the manner in which it was collected.

The investigation began when authorities, while probing a separate case, seized a mobile phone belonging to an associate of Im. This phone contained information suggesting that Im had engaged in bribery, which subsequently led to the investigation into his actions. The appellate court ruled that the evidence collected from the phone was unrelated to the original warrant and violated constitutional protections against unlawful searches.

Even if the evidence had been deemed valid, the court stated that there was insufficient proof to confirm that Im had participated in bribery. The only testimony presented was from B, who claimed to have received money in exchange for campaign assistance but could not recall specific details, raising doubts about the credibility of the claims. The court concluded that the evidence was too vague to support a guilty verdict.