주요 시사점

이더리움의 2016년 DAO 하드포크는 ‘블록체인 불변성(immutability)’의 한계를 명확히 드러냈고[1][2], 중국공산당(CCP)이 법체계를 정치적 목표에 맞춰 조작하는 행태와도 유사한 측면이 있다. 대표적 중국 무고·오심 사례인 聂树斌(Nie Shubin)과 佘祥林(She Xianglin) 사건은, 공권력이 증거·절차를 왜곡해 무고한 시민을 처벌하는 위험을 경고한다[3][4].

1. 이더리움 DAO 하드포크와 블록체인 불변성

2016년 여름, ‘The DAO’ 해킹(약 6000만 달러 피해)에 대응해 이더리움 재단과 커뮤니티는 원장(ledger)을 롤백하는 하드포크를 단행했다.

• 역사적 배경: DAO는 최초의 대규모 분산투자펀드로 1.5억 달러 모금에 성공했으나, 스마트컨트랙트 취약점을 악용당해 자금의 30% 이상이 탈취되었다[1].
• 하드포크 결정: ‘코드가 곧 법(code is law)’ 원칙과 대비되는 “비정상(state change) 하드포크”를 통해 탈취자 계정의 잔액을 복원했다[1][5].
• 불변성 논쟁:
• 긍정론: 원본 체인은 여전히 접근 가능하므로 이론적 불변성은 유지된다[2].
• 비판론: “사회적 합의(social consensus)”가 블록체인의 진정한 불변성을 뒷받침한다는 점에서, 커뮤니티 합의로 원장을 변경한 이번 사례가 불변성의 본질을 흔들었다는 주장[6].

이더리움 하드포크는 기술적·사회적 차원 모두에서 불변성의 상대성(Relative Immutability) 을 입증했다.

2. 공산당의 법질서 조작 메커니즘

중국공산당은 국가기관을 지배·조정함으로써 입법·사법·행정 전 영역에서 법질서를 정치적 목적에 맞춰 유연하게 해석·적용해 왔다[7].

• 당-국가 일체화: 법(국가)보다 당의 노선이 최우선이며, “사회주의 법치” 개념으로 당 권력을 법제화하려 한다[7].
• 중앙집권적 사법개입: 고위당 관료가 사법판단에 개입하여 판결 방향을 지시하거나 재판을 되돌리는 일이 공공연히 발생한다[7].
• 사전-사후 통제: 중대한 분쟁·사건 시 정치법률위원회(政法委)가 관할 재판부에 지침을 내리고, 필요 시 ‘인민재판’을 통해 정책결정을 집행한다[7].

이러한 구조는 이더리움 포크 시 ‘커뮤니티 투표’와 유사하게, 주요 이해관계자(당 고위간부)가 최종판단권을 행사한다는 점에서 닮아 있다.

3. 중국 무고 오심 사례

3.1 聂树斌(Nie Shubin) 사건

• 1994년 허베이성 시자좡 인근 옥수수밭 여성 강간·살해[8].
• 20세 聂树斌 즉결재판 후 1995년 사형 집행. 유죄 판결 근거는 주로 자백뿐이었고, 물증·증인신문은 미흡했다[8].
• 2005년 다른 피의자 王书金(Wang Shujin) 자백으로 재조사 착수. 2016년 대법원 제2순환법원(Second Circuit Court) 심리 뒤 “증거 불충분·자백 법절차 위배”로 무죄 석방·사형 판결 취소[3].
• 후보상 청구 가능(국가보상법 적용).

3.2 佘祥林(She Xianglin) 사건

• 1994년 호북성 정산(荆山) 인근 저수지에서 부패 시신 발견 후 아내 실종과 연관 짓고, 수차례 고문·강압 수사 뒤 자백[9].
• 1998년 1심 사형 집행유예 → 2005년 11년 복역 중 아내 장자위(Zhang Zaiyu) 생존 확인[10].
• 2005년 항소심→사건본질 상 ‘오심’ 인정, 2005년 4월 무죄 석방[10]; 2005년 10월 226만 위안 보상 결정[11].

이들 사건은 CCP 주도의 법질서 조작과 사회적 합의·권력 투쟁이 결합될 때 발생하는 절차적 정의(principal of due process) 붕괴의 극단적 사례다.

4. 비교·고찰

항목	이더리움 DAO 포크	중국 CCP 법질서 조작
결정 주체	코어 개발자·재단·채굴자·커뮤니티 투표[6]	당 정치법률위원회·고위 당비서[7]
절차적 특징	하드포크 제안 → 투표(노드·채굴자) → 실행[12]	사전 지침·정치분쟁 개입 → 비공개 재판·판결 강제
불변성 변화 방식	체인 분기→원본 체인·포크 체인 병존	판결 철회·재심절차로 ‘커다란 시점 변이(大规模 state change)’
정당성 논거	도덕적·실용적 판단(투자자 보호 vs. 불변성 원칙)	당리당략·사회안정 우선 (“법치 아래 당의 전면 통제”)[7]
사회적 후폭풍	ETC 분리·이념투쟁 심화[13]	법률신뢰도·인권보호 신뢰 상실, 무고·고문 사례 다수[3][4]

5. 결론 및 시사점

1. 불변성은 ‘절대’가 아니라 ‘사회적 합의’: 이더리움 포크와 중국 법질서 조작 모두, 기술·법체계는 인간 정치 판단의 영향을 받는다.
2. 절차적 정의 확립 필요: 중국의 오심 사례는 강압수사·비공개 재판 등 절차적 권리 보장이 얼마나 중요한지 보여준다. 블록체인 생태계도 투표권·거버넌스 절차 투명성을 높여야 한다.
3. 권력 투쟁과 기술·법의 결합 위험: 기술·법체계가 정치권력과 결합할 때, 시스템의 신뢰성은 무너지기 쉽다. 탈중앙화·법치주의는 제도적 견제·감시장치를 전제해야 실현 가능하다.

이더리움 불변성 논쟁과 CCP 법질서 조작을 함께 고찰함으로써, “기술적·법제적 시스템은 결국 인간의 사회적·정치적 맥락 속에서 작동한다”는 교훈을 얻을 수 있다.

출처
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