Court Denies Transfer Request at First Preparatory Hearing
Lee Sangjik Appears in Person, Requests Transfer to Jeonju District Court
Moon's Defense Requests Citizen Participation Trial... Decision Expected at Second Preparatory Hearing
The court has denied former President Moon Jae-in's request to transfer his bribery trial to another jurisdiction. As a result, the trial will continue at the Seoul Central District Court as originally scheduled.
The Criminal Agreement Division 21 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Hyunbok) held the first preparatory hearing for the bribery charges against former President Moon and former National Assembly member Lee Sangjik on the afternoon of June 17, 2025, and made this decision.
The court stated, "Since the cases against both defendants constitute so-called counterpart offenses, there is a need for a unified verdict. Transferring the case to either Ulsan or Jeonju would not achieve the intended purpose of the request, raising questions about its effectiveness. Given the practical considerations of the court's facilities and support, as well as media accessibility, it is appropriate to proceed with the trial at the Central District Court for the sake of a prompt and fair process." A counterpart offense is a crime that requires the involvement of two or more parties, with its legal definition depending on the existence of the other party.
Previously, former President Moon and former lawmaker Lee each requested that their cases be transferred to the Ulsan and Jeonju District Courts, respectively. Moon's defense argued, "Given that the prosecution is questioning the overall quid pro quo relationship involving the President, it is inappropriate to cite Seoul as the jurisdiction simply because it is the location of the President's official duties. Considering former President Moon's advanced age and the difficulty of traveling 8 to 10 hours round trip with his security detail, we ask the court to take these circumstances into account."
On June 17, Moon's attorney Lee Hyungyeon reiterated the request for a change of venue, stating, "If the trial lasts all day, we would have to arrive the day before and leave the day after, which would place a significant burden on security. Please reconsider the jurisdiction." He further argued, "A former president will have to appear in court dozens of times for this case, and the constant media attention each time will impact the dignity of the nation."
Attorney Lee added, "We intended to express our opinion on a citizen participation trial if the transfer issue was resolved, but since the transfer request has been denied, we now state that we, like former lawmaker Lee, wish to have a citizen participation trial." On June 2, former lawmaker Lee had submitted a formal request to the court for a citizen participation trial.
Attorney Lee further argued that, considering the timing of Lee's nomination as chairman of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency and the employment of Moon's son-in-law, Mr. Seo, there is no quid pro quo relationship to support the bribery charge. He also stated, "The prosecution claims it will question 120 witnesses, which is unreasonable, and it is also unreasonable to argue that a citizen participation trial is not feasible simply because the witness examination would be lengthy."
The court responded, "If the formal trial requires 10 to 30 sessions, it would be practically impossible to conduct a citizen participation trial. We ask both parties to confirm their position on the citizen participation trial and complete all related preparations and explanations at least 10 days before the next preparatory procedure."
Former lawmaker Lee, who appeared in court in person, was given the opportunity to speak and again requested that the case be transferred to the Jeonju District Court and that a citizen participation trial be considered. He also denied the allegation that he received the chairmanship of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency as a reward for assisting former President Moon. Lee stated, "I founded a company and have hands-on experience managing small and medium-sized enterprises, which is why I was appointed as chairman. To call this favoritism or claim a connection to my official duties is deeply offensive and honestly makes me angry. I earnestly ask for an opportunity to explain this to the public."
The court plans to hold another preparatory hearing on September 9, 2025, and will announce its decision regarding the citizen participation trial at that time.
Former President Moon did not attend the hearing on June 17. The preparatory hearing is a procedure before the formal trial to confirm the defendant's position on the charges and to plan the examination of evidence; the defendant is not required to attend. It is expected that former President Moon will not attend the second preparatory hearing either.
Meanwhile, on April 24, 2025, the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office indicted former President Moon without detention at the Seoul Central District Court on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery). Lee Sangjik, founder of Eastar Jet, was also indicted on charges of bribery and breach of duty.
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