Six Months of Stalemate... When Will the Formal Trial Begin for Cheong's Interference in Ulsan Mayor Election?

Preparation Procedures to Be Renewed on the 30th of Next Month
Dispute Over Separate Evidence Lists by Defendant

Song Cheol-ho, Mayor of Ulsan [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The court has decided to continue the preparatory procedures for the trial regarding the Blue House's alleged interference in the Ulsan mayoral election until next month. The formal trial remains stalled for the sixth consecutive month without any promise of resumption.

The 21st Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Miri) held the fourth preparatory hearing this morning for 13 defendants, including Song Cheol-ho, the mayor of Ulsan, who were indicted on charges of Blue House-directed investigations and election interference. The court decided to renew the preparatory procedures until the 30th of next month. The bench stated, "We will accept evidence applications and obtain consent or dissent at the next hearing," adding, "If we can roughly organize and complete the procedures, we will conclude them."

The prosecution and defense clashed over the separation of evidence lists by defendant during the session. The defense argued, "Separating the evidence lists by defendant would help with the consent to evidence." On the other hand, the prosecution countered, "The evidence in this case is necessary to prove the charges," and questioned whether it was appropriate to separate the evidence by defendant. The court then announced that it would proceed with the evidence consent procedures at the next hearing, reflecting the opinions of both the prosecution and the defendants, thus concluding the session. In effect, this was another delay.

The case was filed with the court in January of this year. The Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (then Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-eun) received the case from the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office and indicted the defendants without detention on charges including violation of the Public Official Election Act. The court that received the case designated it as an important case requiring timely handling and assigned it to the relevant division. The first trial was held three months after the case was filed. Although cases designated as important and requiring timely handling are usually expedited, this case was an exception.

Even after the designation, delays continued. The prosecution did not allow access to some investigation records, citing ongoing related investigations into accomplices connected to the defendants. The investigation targets included former Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Jong-seok and Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Lee Kwang-cheol. However, current and former Blue House officials suspected of involvement in this case did not comply with the prosecution's summons. Ultimately, the prosecution reportedly decided to defer indictments against former Chief of Staff Lim and Secretary Lee. There has been speculation inside and outside the prosecution that this decision was influenced by the recent transfer of Chief Prosecutor Kim and two deputy chiefs of the investigation team to provincial offices during last month's mid-level prosecutor personnel reshuffle.