Kim Yonghyun's Detention Expires on June 26
Criminal Division 34 of the Seoul Central District Court to Hold Hearing
Possible Consolidation with Ongoing Insurrection Trial
The special prosecutor team led by Cho Eunseok, investigating insurrection charges, will hold a hearing on June 23 to determine whether to detain former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun, who was the first person indicted by the team.
The 34th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Han Sungjin) announced on June 20 that the detention warrant hearing for former Minister Kim, who has been additionally indicted on charges of obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means and instigation of evidence destruction, will be held at 2:30 p.m. on June 23.
Previously, Special Prosecutor Cho filed additional charges against former Minister Kim on June 18. The special prosecutor team's additional indictment is interpreted as a preemptive measure to prevent Kim from being released unconditionally when his detention period expires on June 26, since he has refused the court's decision to grant bail with conditions such as a deposit. Kim was previously indicted and detained on December 27, 2024, on charges of performing important duties related to insurrection and abuse of authority. The six-month detention period for the first trial, as stipulated by the Criminal Procedure Act, expires on June 26.
If no additional detention is granted, Kim will be released in a week. Once released due to the expiration of the detention period, he cannot be detained again on the same charges. In that case, additional detention would require new charges.
The detention of a defendant is also subject to the warrant principle. The application of grounds for detention is similar to that for suspects. The defendant must be informed of the essential facts of the crime and the reason for detention, and must be given an opportunity to present a defense. After this hearing process, the court decides whether to issue a detention warrant.
On the previous day, Special Prosecutor Cho requested the court to cancel the bail decision for former Minister Kim and to issue an additional detention warrant. The prosecutor also requested that Kim's trial for performing important duties related to insurrection, which was being handled by the 25th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Ji Guyon), be merged with the new case. The decision on whether to merge the cases will be made after consultation among the relevant presiding judges.
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