Court Review Scheduled Before Detention Expires on the 26th
Special Prosecutor Cho Urges Issuance of Arrest Warrant
Kim's Legal Team Requests Change of Hearing Date
Cho Eunseok, the special prosecutor for insurrection, has reiterated the necessity for the court to issue an additional arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun, following Kim's additional indictment. The hearing regarding the request for Kim's additional arrest warrant is scheduled for June 23.
On June 20, the special prosecutor's team submitted a written opinion to the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 34 (Presiding Judge Han Sungjin), which has been assigned the additional indictment case against Kim, emphasizing the need for the arrest warrant to be issued. Previously, on June 18, Special Prosecutor Cho filed additional charges against Kim for obstruction of official duties by deception and for instigating the destruction of evidence.
On the same day, the Seoul Central District Court assigned the additional indictment case to Criminal Division 34, and the division immediately set the hearing for Kim's arrest warrant for June 23 at 2:30 p.m.
The special prosecutor's 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, after he refused the court's decision to grant bail with conditions such as a security deposit. Kim was indicted and detained on December 27, 2024, on charges of performing important insurrection-related duties and abuse of power. The six-month detention period for the first trial, as stipulated by the Criminal Procedure Act, expires on June 26. If released due to the expiration of the detention period, Kim cannot be detained again on the same charges. In this case, additional detention would require new charges.
In response, with his release imminent, Kim's legal team immediately objected and requested a change in the hearing date for the arrest warrant. Kim's team argued, "According to the Criminal Procedure Act, the hearing should take place only after the indictment has been delivered and the evidence records have been reviewed," and claimed, "By scheduling the arrest warrant hearing in violation of all procedures, Criminal Division 34 has colluded in Special Prosecutor Cho's abuse of authority."
They added, "We will file a complaint for abuse of authority against Criminal Division 34 for colluding with Special Prosecutor Cho without even delivering the indictment, and we will initiate all procedures necessary to protect our rights, including the aforementioned complaint."
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