Lee Jae-myung Absent from Daejang-dong Afternoon Trial...Prosecution Expresses Regret over Trial Delay

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared at his trial on the morning of the 10th for the first time since the December 3 emergency martial law incident, but did not attend the afternoon session, prompting the prosecution to express regret.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 33 (Presiding Judge Kim Dong-hyun) held a trial on charges including breach of trust and bribery against Lee starting at 10:30 a.m. that day. Lee attended the morning session but was absent from the afternoon session, citing a schedule to attend the National Assembly plenary session.

During the afternoon session, Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, who appeared as a witness, refused to testify in protest of Lee’s absence, causing the session to end after about 10 minutes.

The prosecution stated, "Defendant Lee Jae-myung has repeatedly been absent without notice, and despite this, the prosecution hopes the trial will proceed with witness testimonies to fulfill the burden of proof. While we will abide by the court’s decision, it is quite regrettable for the prosecution that the trial is stalling in this manner."

Previously, Lee had submitted a letter of absence citing National Assembly voting and other reasons and did not attend the Daejang-dong trial held on the 6th, the first session after the emergency martial law incident. That trial also ended within an hour after Yoo protested Lee’s absence.