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The late Lee Gwan-sul, who was executed following accusations of being the mastermind behind the “Joseonjeongpansa Counterfeit Currency” case, was exonerated 79 years later during a retrial held on the 22nd.

Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 21 (led by Judge Lee Hyun-bok) declared Lee not guilty during the retrial, after he had been given a life sentence for charges such as currency forgery. Prior to the decision, the court mentioned, “We hope this ruling will offer some solace to Lee Gwan-sul and his family.”

The case of the Joseonjeongpansa Counterfeit Currency involved allegations that Lee and others produced 12 million won in fake bills six times between October 1945 and February 1946 at the Joseonjeongpansa printing facility to support the operations of the Joseon Communist Party. Lee, recognized as the main organizer, received a life sentence in 1946 from the U.S. Military Government’s Gyeongseong District Court and was executed in 1950 while incarcerated at Daejeon Prison.

Lee’s granddaughter, Son Ok-hee, applied for a retrial in July 2023. The court chose to start the retrial this October, more than two years and three months after the initial case, and the prosecution requested an acquittal during the final hearing on the 15th.

The court concluded that the confessions from co-defendants, which were crucial for the conviction, were obtained through unlawful detention by the police and therefore could not be used as evidence. Although the Constitution and specific evidence regulations of the Criminal Procedure Act had not yet been put in place at that time, the court noted, “The Chosun Criminal Order restricted the detention period for judicial police to 10 days, and even so, a general legal principle requiring compliance with due process under the law was established.” It further stated, “We believe that the evidence rules outlined in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and the Criminal Procedure Act can be directly applied to retrials of U.S. Military Government convictions.”

Cheering broke out in the courtroom when the not-guilty decision was announced. Following the ruling, Son stated, “I am thankful that South Korea has found him not guilty after almost 80 years.” She added, “This case marked the first time the U.S. Military Government suppressed the people to uphold its political position. I hope this verdict serves as a chance to eliminate all remnants of such history.”