Jeong Yoo-jeong's Response to "Do You Admit to Separating and Abandoning the Corpse?"

Attendance at Second Pretrial Conference, Denies Planned Crime
Requests Closed Trial, Judge Responds "Negative"

Jeong Yujeong (23), who was brought to trial on charges of murdering a peer woman she met through a tutoring app, dismembering the body, and abandoning it, appeared at the second pretrial hearing and claimed, "It was not a planned crime." She also emphasized, "I did not live harboring resentment against society."

[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to Yonhap News and others, Jeong Yujeong attended the second pretrial hearing held at 11:20 a.m. on the 28th at the Busan District Court Criminal Division 6 (Presiding Judge Kim Tae-eop) and made these statements.

The pretrial hearing is a procedure to confirm the defendant's position regarding the criminal charges and to plan evidence investigation, and unlike a formal trial, the defendant is not obligated to appear in person. Nevertheless, Jeong Yujeong appeared with her lawyer on this day as well as at the first pretrial hearing held on the 14th of last month.

Jeong wore a greenish prison uniform that day, with a yellow name tag on her chest, which is given to inmates under observation who have caused significant social disturbances.

During the trial, Jeong mostly looked downward, but when the court explained matters related to evidence admission to her and her lawyer, she looked at the judge attentively. She was also reported to have been active, responding in a loud and clear voice when it was her turn to speak.

When asked by the judge whether the crime was planned, Jeong answered, "It was not a planned crime." When the judge asked, "Are you saying that the motive and the circumstances leading to the crime stated in the indictment are different?" she replied, "Yes."

When asked if she admitted to killing the victim on the day and dismembering and abandoning the body, she said, "Yes, I admit that." She also answered "Yes" to questions such as whether she agreed with all the evidence submitted to the court.

The pretrial hearing was recessed for 10 minutes due to the defense lawyer's lack of preparation. After resuming, the lawyer applied to call three witnesses for the upcoming trial: Jeong Yujeong's father, grandfather, and step-grandmother. During this process, Jeong directly told the judge the names of these three individuals.

Request for Closed Trial... Shows Disappointment at Court's Refusal

Near the end of the hearing, the defense lawyer requested a closed trial citing concerns about copycat crimes. The lawyer explained, "The act and method of this case are unprecedented and unique," adding, "There is concern that the act and method of this case could be distorted when conveyed to the public, leading to copycat crimes and affecting the public."

In response, the court said, "We have considered the reasons for the request for a closed trial, but regarding the constitutional right of the public to know, it is unlikely that proceeding with a closed trial would cause such a severe social harm," and added, "We will gather opinions from other judges and discuss this at the next hearing."

After hearing the court's negative stance on the closed trial, Jeong Yujeong reportedly bowed her head so deeply that her face was barely visible. Despite the court's refusal, the defense requested a closed trial once more, suggesting that Jeong strongly desires a closed trial.

Jeong Yujeong's first formal trial date is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on September 18.