Jang Ho-gwon, chairman of the Gwangbok Association (74), who is accused of threatening a member with a toy gun, denied the charges at his first trial.
At around 10 a.m. on the 22nd, Judge Kim Yoon-hee of Criminal Division 9 at the Seoul Southern District Court held the first hearing for Chairman Jang, who is charged with special intimidation. Chairman Jang's side stated that they generally deny the charges.
Chairman Jang's side stated, "While it is true that Chairman Jang and the victim raised their voices and had a physical confrontation at the time, there was no act of taking out a dangerous object to threaten or notify harm." They explained that although Chairman Jang did take out a toy gun (BB gun) during the scuffle with the victim, he put it back into his bag after being stopped by the secretary-general who was nearby.
Chairman Jang is accused of threatening a Gwangbok Association member with a toy gun resembling a firearm in the chairman's office at the Gwangbok Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on June 22 of last year. Chairman Jang claimed he was holding an electric shaver case for self-defense, but police investigation confirmed it was a toy gun.
Chairman Jang's side also argued that the act was an act of self-defense. They said, "The victim caused a disturbance last year by breaking office equipment and scattering 2 liters of feces he had prepared after storming into the former chairman's office," adding, "Chairman Jang's actions were not a notification of harm but an attempt to prevent the person intending to cause harm from doing so." They further stated, "Since this was a passive defensive act, it constitutes a justification for illegality."
On this day, Chairman Jang's side applied to call a Gwangbok Association member who came to the chairman's office with the victim at the time and the secretary-general who was present at the scene as witnesses.
The court decided to first proceed with the examination of the victim, who was applied as a witness by the prosecution.
The next trial is scheduled to be held at 2:50 p.m. on the 28th of next month.
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