Court: "Trial Date to Be Set Later to Ensure Continuity of State Affairs"
First Trial for Lee Hwayoung and Kim Sungtae Scheduled for September
The first trial of President Lee Jae Myung regarding allegations of illegal remittances to North Korea has been postponed. As a result, all five criminal trials in which President Lee has been indicted have now been suspended.
President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 22nd at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 22nd, the 11th Criminal Division of the Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Song Byunghoon) announced during a pretrial hearing for President Lee, former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa Young, and former Ssangbangwool Group Chairman Kim Sung Tae?who are charged with violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery) and offering bribes?that "the defendant is currently serving as President and holds the status of head of state, representing the nation." The court stated, "To allow the President to focus on the duties guaranteed by the Constitution and to ensure continuity in state affairs, the trial date will be designated at a later time."
This decision is interpreted as being based on the intent of Article 84 of the Constitution, which aims to guarantee stability in state administration. The current Article 84 of the Constitution stipulates, "The President shall not be subject to criminal prosecution during their term of office except for cases of insurrection or treason."
Previously, four other trials involving President Lee?the retrial of his violation of the Public Official Election Act, the appellate trial for subornation of perjury, the first trials for the Daejangdong, Wirye, Baekhyeondong, and Seongnam FC allegations, and the first trial for the alleged misuse of corporate credit cards?were all indefinitely postponed as well.
However, for co-defendants such as former Vice Governor Lee Hwa Young and former Chairman Kim Sung Tae, the first trial date has been set for September 9. During the hearing, former Vice Governor Lee's legal team requested that the trial be postponed, citing Bae Sang Yoon, Chairman of KH Group, who is currently evading authorities overseas, but this request was denied.
The court stated, "Considering the uncertainty over whether Bae Sang Yoon will return to Korea and testify, the trials for defendants Lee Hwa Young and Kim Sung Tae will proceed." The court added, "However, we are fully aware of the need to protect the defendants' right to a fair defense. We will make appropriate decisions throughout the trial process, depending on how Bae Sang Yoon is investigated or questioned."
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