Winter Recess Begins from the 23rd to the 3rd of Next Month
On the 25th, the day of the first trial verdict for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, in the perjury coaching case, the police riot squad is on guard at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, in preparation for any emergencies. Photo by Jo Yong-jun
Courts across the country will be closed for two weeks during the winter vacation period. The court recess system, introduced in 2006, is designed to allow trial participants and litigants to rest during extreme weather or vacation periods by not holding trials for a set period. During this time, most civil, family, and administrative trials, as well as non-custodial criminal trials, will not be held except for urgent or serious cases. However, trials may proceed if the court deems it necessary.
According to the legal community on the 22nd, most courts nationwide, including the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court, the largest courts in the country, will enter the winter recess from the 23rd until the 3rd of next month.
At the Seoul Central District Court, trials related to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, concerning the Daejang-dong, Baekhyeon-dong, and Wirye New Town development corruption and the illegal sponsorship allegations involving Seongnam FC, which were held once or twice a week, will resume on the 7th of next month after this period.
The appeal trial at the Seoul High Court is also expected to proceed after the recess for the public official election law violation case, in which a loss of office sentence was handed down in the first trial last month, and the perjury coaching case, in which a not guilty verdict was delivered.
On the 18th, Lee received a notice of receipt of the appeal trial records for the election law violation case. According to the Criminal Procedure Act, an appeal brief must be submitted within 20 days of receipt, marking the official start of the second trial process.
The embezzlement case involving major private developers of Daejang-dong, including Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, lawyer Nam Wook, and accountant Jeong Young-hak, will resume on the 6th of next month. The verdict for the 2021 Democratic Party leadership election money envelope allegation case involving Song Young-gil, leader of the Pine Tree Party, will be announced on the 8th of next month after the recess. The continuation of the second trial for current and former Democratic Party lawmakers involved is also scheduled after the recess.
Cases involving provisional seizures and injunctions, criminal case hearings for detained defendants, and pre-arrest suspect interrogations (warrant hearings) will proceed as usual. Additionally, court operations such as case intake and assignment will continue normally.
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