Park Wanju (59), a former lawmaker who was sentenced to prison and taken into custody in the first trial for charges including sexually assaulting an aide, requested to stand trial without detention, but his request was denied.
On April 21, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 12-1 (Presiding Judges: Hong Jiyeong, Bang Unghwan, and Kim Mina) dismissed Park's request for bail, who is charged with causing injury during forcible molestation. The court stated that the request was denied due to concerns about destruction of evidence and risk of flight.
Previously, on March 26, while the appellate trial was ongoing, Park had applied for bail. Bail refers to release from custody under certain conditions, such as posting a bond.
Park is accused of forcibly molesting his then-aide, referred to as Ms. A, at a karaoke bar and a nearby parking lot in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on December 9, 2021. He is also accused of submitting a forged resignation letter for Ms. A to the National Assembly Secretariat after being reported for sexual assault.
On December 1 of last year, the first trial court found Park guilty of forcible molestation and of informing a local constituent that the aide had attempted to reach a settlement, sentencing him to one year in prison and ordering him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program. The court stated that "the defendant committed a particularly egregious crime by forcibly molesting the victim against her will and publicly disclosing the attempt at a sexual violence settlement, thereby defaming the victim."
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