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Professor Park Noh-soo (far right) and Democratic Republican lawmaker Kim Kyu-nam (second from right) stand trial during the “European espionage case” in 1970.

A court has ruled for the state to pay over 2.3 billion won (about US $2.1 million) in compensation to the family of Park Noh-soo for his unjust execution 45 years ago at the age of 39 in a case involving falsified European spy ring charges. The European spy ring case is considered a major example of a manufactured security crisis by the Park Chung-hee administration (1961–79).

In the case of Park’s family demands for 7 billion won (US $6.24 million) from the state, the judge, Hon. Park Sang-gu of the 26th civil division of Seoul Central District Court, ruled on Sept. 1 that the death penalty was “enforced based on illegally gathered evidence from an unlawful investigation” and ordered the state to pay 2,347,680,000 won (US $2.09 million). Another court previously ruled last February to grant 2.7 billion won (US $2.41 million) in compensation to the family of Democratic Republican Party lawmaker Kim Gyu-nam, who was executed over the same case.

Park went overseas in 1953 to study at the University of Hawaii and the law colleges of the University of Tokyo and the University of Cambridge before going to work as an invited researcher at Cambridge. He returned to South Korea in Feb. 1969, but was arrested the following April by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (the predecessor of today’s National Intelligence Service) and subjected to illegal detention and torture. Park was delivered for trial, charged with engaging in espionage after allegedly receiving orders during visits to East Berlin and Pyongyang during his exchange study period in England.

In 1970, a court upheld his death sentence, despite Park’s claims that he had made a false confession under physical duress by the KCIA. Park requested a retrial, but the death sentence was ultimately carried out in 1972. The false accusations against Park were only cleared in 2015, when the Supreme Court exonerated him in a retrial. Previously, the 2nd criminal division of Seoul High Court had apologized for the case in an appeals trial ruling finding him not guilty.

“The court’s past pro forma application of the law caused tremendous suffering and grief from the defendant and his family,” it said at the time.

Cho Ui-jeong, an attorney with E-Dam International Law Firm who represented Park’s family, said he would consult with the family on whether to appeal the amount of compensation.

“The amount is unfortunate, given that [Park’s] widow emigrated to Canada due to her hatred of South Korea and his daughter continues suffering even today from the aftereffects of [Park’s being framed for] espionage,” Cho said.

By Kim Min-kyoung, staff reporter

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