[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The trial of Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, who was indicted on charges of defaming Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, will begin on the 22nd of this month.
According to the court on the 5th, Chief Judge Ji Sang-mok of Criminal Division 7 at the Seoul Western District Court will hold Yoo's first pretrial conference on the morning of the 22nd. The pretrial conference is a procedure to confirm the defendant's position on the charges and to organize the issues to ensure the trial proceeds efficiently.
Since 2019, Chairman Yoo has repeatedly claimed in media interviews and YouTube broadcasts that "the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division illegally tracked his and the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's accounts in late November or early December 2019." Prosecutor Han was serving as the head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at that time.
The Action Alliance for the Restoration of the Rule of Law reported Chairman Yoo to the prosecution, stating that his remarks constituted defamation against Prosecutor Han and other prosecution officials. On January 22, Yoo posted an apology on the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's website, admitting that his claims were false. The prosecution indicted Yoo without detention on the 3rd of last month for defaming Prosecutor Han by making false statements on a radio broadcast.
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