Park Geun-hye Retrial Ends in 5 Minutes... Prosecution to Present Sentence on 31st

Former President Park Absent Again... Hearing Cannot Proceed
Prosecutors Likely to Submit Supreme Court Ruling as Evidence of Accomplice
Sentencing Expected as Early as February, No Later Than March

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The first retrial of former President Park Geun-hye ended in just five minutes. The trial could not proceed as the former president was absent.

The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6 (Chief Judge Oh Seok-jun) held the first hearing of the retrial on the state affairs manipulation case and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) special activity funds case involving former President Park on the afternoon of the 15th. Former President Park submitted a letter of absence through her lawyer citing health reasons and did not appear in court. Since the 2017 state affairs manipulation trial, she has refused to attend all trials.

As the defendant was absent, the court decided to proceed with the trial on the next date. The usual first trial procedures such as verifying the defendant’s identity, the prosecution’s explanation of the charges, and the defendant’s opinion on the charges were omitted this day. However, the prosecution stated its intention to submit the Supreme Court’s rulings on co-defendants related to the case as additional evidence.

The court set the next hearing date for the afternoon of the 31st. Unless there are special circumstances, the court indicated it would proceed with the sentencing procedure, hearing the prosecution’s sentencing recommendation and the defense’s final argument. If the sentencing proceeds as scheduled, the retrial verdict for former President Park is expected as early as February. Initially, it was anticipated that this trial would not take long given the clear intent of the Supreme Court’s remand.

Former President Park’s retrial combines the state affairs manipulation case and the NIS special activity funds case. According to the Supreme Court’s remand intent for both cases, the prevailing view is that the former president’s sentence is likely to increase.

Looking at each case separately, in the state affairs manipulation case, former President Park is accused of coercing large corporations, including Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), to contribute to the Mir and K-Sports foundations, and receiving bribes in the form of equestrian support for Jung Yoo-ra from Samsung. There are also allegations that she intervened in candidate nominations to favor pro-Park figures during the 20th general election. In August last year, the Supreme Court remanded the case on the grounds that, according to the principles stipulated in the Public Official Election Act, bribery crimes committed by a president during their term must be sentenced separately. Previously, former President Park was sentenced to 25 years in prison and fined 20 billion won in the second trial for the state affairs manipulation case.

The special activity funds case involves allegations that former President Park received over 3.6 billion won in special activity funds from former NIS directors Nam Jae-joon and Lee Byung-gi from May 2013 to September of the following year. In November last year, the Supreme Court sent the case back for retrial, stating that the NIS director qualifies as an accounting officer and ordered a re-examination of the charge of public funds loss, which was acquitted in the lower court. Former President Park was sentenced to five years in prison and fined 2.7 billion won in the second trial for the special activity funds case.