South Korean Lawyer Pushes Perjury Case in 1990 Murder Retrial
Lawyer Park Joon-young filed perjury complaints against five former officers in the Nakdong River murder case, where two men spent 21 years in prison after torture-induced confessions. Four officers were indicted, and one admitted all charges at the first hearing, expressing remorse. The remaining three denied intentional perjury, with their next hearing set for October 12.
Park Joon-young’s prior victories in the Samrye Nara Supermarket and Yakchon intersection cases established his reputation for challenging coerced confessions. In the Nakdong River case, Choi In-cheol and Jang Dong-ik were exonerated in February 2021 after 21 years behind bars. The March 2026 perjury complaints targeted five former officers who denied abuse during that retrial. Four were indicted; one officer’s non-indictment is being appealed. At the September 21 hearing, one defendant admitted guilt, citing superior orders and expressing remorse, with prosecutors requesting a two-year sentence. The other three maintain their innocence, citing faded memories or denying participation, and return to court October 12.
This case may reinforce public scrutiny of police accountability in South Korea, particularly regarding torture-era practices. If perjury convictions stand, they could deter false testimony in future retrials and bolster trust in judicial review. Conversely, acquittals might embolden resistance to revisiting old abuses. The outcome affects the wrongfully convicted men’s sense of closure, the officers’ careers, and broader confidence in legal remedies for historical injustices.