Court to hear Kim Keon Hee case, begin trial of former interior minister this week
| Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the first hearing in his criminal trial on abuse of power charges at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Sept. 26. (Yonhap) |
Sessions in the insurrection trials of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be broadcast Monday, as Seoul Central District Court enters a packed week of high profile trial proceedings.
Multiple criminal trials involving high-profile figures tied to last year’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 are set to enter session this week, as the Seoul court returns from an extended Chuseok break. The trial of former first lady Kim Keon Hee will also resume at the same court.
The court decided to permit live coverage of the day's proceedings in Yoon’s trial, but only from the opening of the session until the start of witness examination.
Permission for courtroom photography and filming of the trial had previously been granted, but the court recognized concerns that “there are risks of falsifying testimonies and threats to national security due to the possible disclosure of military secrets during the witness examination.”
Under Article 11 of the Special Counsel Act for Investigations, if broadcasting is requested by the special counsel or the defendant, the presiding judge must allow it unless there are special circumstances.
Given the fierce exchanges between Yoon’s defense counsel and the special counsel team in the previously televised hearing before witness questioning began, heated arguments are expected during the broadcast portion of Monday's session.
The second criminal trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo — who stands accused of abetting the illegal imposition of martial law, preparing false public documents and committing perjury — will also be broadcast, both before the session begins and throughout the proceedings.
The court previously allowed live coverage of earlier hearings for Yoon and Han, held on Oct. 2 and Sept. 30, respectively.
The Seoul court also announced that it would call former Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho and former Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung as witnesses in Han's trial, after reviewing surveillance camera footage from the presidential office on the day the martial was declared on Dec. 3.
The proceedings will not be broadcast live due to the possible exposure of personal information and military secrets.
The proceedings will be recorded by the court’s video cameras and released online after processing, including anonymization of personal information, according to the Seoul Central District Court.
The same court is scheduled to hold the second and third hearings in the trial of Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, on charges of influence-peddling in a 2022 by-election, stock manipulation and bribery, on Wednesday and Friday.
The Seoul Central District Court announced that it would conduct two hearings a week for a swift trial during Kim’s first formal hearing on Sept. 24.
Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, who has been indicted on charges of colluding in Yoon’s martial law imposition, is expected to stand for his first hearing Friday morning.
Lee was not present for the preparatory hearing on Sept. 19, as defendants are not obligated to appear in court for the preparatory hearing, in which the court discusses how the trial is to proceed.
But he is likely to attend the first formal hearing, as the defendant’s presence is a requirement for opening the trial under the Criminal Procedure Act.
The former interior minister is accused of abusing his authority by instructing police and fire officials to cut electricity and water supplies to certain local media outlets.
Lee then tried to conceal his involvement through false testimony during the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial, according to the special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk investigating whether Yoon’s botched martial law declaration constituted treason and insurrection.
Lee's legal representatives denied all allegations during the preparatory hearing.
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