The Seoul Central District Court on Friday acquitted LG Electronics’ home appliance and air solutions CEO Jo Seong-jin and his two aides on charges of wrecking washers of rival company Samsung Electronics, citing a lack of evidence.

Samsung filed lawsuits earlier this year against Jo and a top executive for damaging its washing machines at the SATURN Berlin Europa-Center and SATURN Berlin Steglitz in Germany during the IFA trade show in September last year.

Another public relations executive was also indicted for libel against Samsung by publishing press releases intended to defame Samsung’s washing machines by attacking their quality after the vandalism incident made headlines here in September.
 

LG claimed that the CEO and other officials were simply testing its rival’s new washer model, Crystal Blue, but did not damage the products.

Yoon Seung-eun, the main judge of the trial held Friday, said in her ruling that “the three were found not guilty due to lack of evidence."

The judge said video files and witness statements presented by Samsung as evidence, were insufficient to prove that Jo and the official, whose last name is also Jo, had damaged the washers’ door hinges displayed at the German retail shops.

“Considering the way the CEO Jo pressed down the door of the washer in the video, the amount of pressure was not strong enough to break the door hinge,” the judge said.

“Not only did witness statements come six months after the incident had occurred, but also the witnesses ― mostly promoters at the retail shops ― did not correctly remember the time of arrival of the LG officials and their moving route at the shops,” she added.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)