[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The appellate court, which postponed the sentencing of Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo twice, stated, "We have tentatively determined that Governor Kim saw the 'King Crab demonstration' by Druking," but also said, "We have not reached a final conclusion in the current state."
The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 2 (Chief Judge Cha Moon-ho) announced this on the morning of the 21st as the trial resumed. The sentencing for Governor Kim was originally scheduled for that day. However, the court suddenly canceled the sentencing hearing the day before and decided to resume the trial. The resumption of the trial means that before writing the verdict, the court intends to ask additional questions to Governor Kim, his defense attorneys, and the special prosecution team.
Governor Kim, who appeared at the trial that day, told reporters, "I have done my best to clarify the facts so far, and I believe most of them have been revealed," adding, "It is difficult to understand the reason for the postponement, but I plan to do my best until the end, as I have done so far."
Previously, the court had already postponed the sentencing schedule once last year. In November of last year, the special prosecution demanded a six-year prison sentence, one year longer than the first trial, arguing that Governor Kim consistently denied the crime and criticized the judiciary.
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