Trial for 'Aiding Insurrection Leader' Han Deok-su... First Verdict for 'Baekhyun-dong Investigation Cover-up' Former Prosecutor General [This Week's Trial Schedule]

[Financial News] The first trial for former Prime Minister Han Deok-su, who is accused of being aware of the emergency martial law declaration by former President Yoon Seok-yeol at a cabinet meeting before the 12·3 emergency martial law declaration and not preventing it, begins. The trial for former Unification Church World Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho, who is involved in the 'Geonjin Beopsa bribery allegation', also officially opens.  
According to the legal community on the 13th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 33 (Chief Judge Lee Jin-gwan) will hold the first pretrial hearing for former Prime Minister Han, who is accused of aiding an insurrection leader, on the 16th. The pretrial hearing is a procedure to confirm the positions of both the defendant and the prosecution and to plan the evidence investigation before the formal trial, and the defendant is not required to attend. The first trial date is the 30th.
Former Prime Minister Han, who is accused of aiding an insurrection leader, perjury, falsifying and destroying official documents, damaging public records, and violating the Presidential Records Management Act, is accused of knowing about former President Yoon's 12·3 emergency martial law in advance but not preventing it and aiding it. He is also accused of signing a false martial law declaration written by former Presidential Office Chief of Staff Kang Yi-gu on December 5 last year and ordering its destruction. The special prosecutor's team determined that former Prime Minister Han, who was appointed with the consent of the National Assembly, had the authority to prevent the illegal emergency martial law by the president. They saw it as not merely failing to prevent it but aiding it.
Former Prime Minister Han testified as a witness at the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court last year and early this year, saying, "I don't remember receiving the martial law declaration," and "I knew it was in the back pocket of my suit," but during the second special prosecutor's investigation on the 19th, he admitted to receiving the martial law declaration from former President Yoon, reversing his statement.
The special prosecutor's team requested an arrest warrant to secure former Prime Minister Han's custody, but the court dismissed it. The court pointed out that there is room for dispute over the important facts and the legal evaluation of former Prime Minister Han's actions, that it is difficult to see a risk of evidence destruction beyond the exercise of defense rights considering the progress of the investigation and former Prime Minister Han's current status, and that it is difficult to see a risk of flight considering former Prime Minister Han's career, age, residence, family relationships, attendance status, and testimony attitude during the investigation process. Former Prime Minister Han's compliance with the special prosecutor's summons and testimony was also taken into account. Subsequently, the special prosecutor's team brought former Prime Minister Han to trial without detention on the 29th of last month.
In the future, the special prosecutor's team plans to focus on former Prime Minister Han's 'aiding' and develop their argument. They are expected to argue that former Prime Minister Han, the second-in-command of state affairs, knew about former President Yoon's illegal martial law but did not actively prevent it and reversed his testimony. On the other hand, former Prime Minister Han's side is expected to counter that it was conducted according to cabinet meeting regulations, not aiding.
The first trial for former World Headquarters Director Yoon Young-ho, who is involved in the 'Geonjin Beopsa bribery allegation', also begins. The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 27 (Chief Judge Woo In-seong) will hold a pretrial hearing on the 17th at 4 PM for former Director Yoon, who is accused of violating the Anti-Graft Act and embezzlement. Former Director Yoon was arrested on July 30 by the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor's team (Special Prosecutor Min Jung-gi).
Former Director Yoon is accused of delivering a Graf necklace and Chanel bag for 'Kim Geon-hee's gift' and Cheonsusam tea to Jeon Seong-bae, known as Geonjin Beopsa, along with church issues from April to August 2022. The bribe content delivered by former Director Yoon includes △various events for the settlement of New Africa △attracting the UN's 5th office to Korea △the Cambodia Mekong Peace Park (development support) project △installation of the DMZ Peace Park.
Meanwhile, the appellate court result for former Prosecutor General Lim Jeong-hyun, related to the 'Baekhyun-dong investigation cover-up allegation', will be announced. Former Prosecutor General Lim, who is accused of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act, is accused of receiving 100 million won from Jung Ba-ul, chairman of Asia Developer, under the pretext of public official bribery related to the Baekhyun-dong development corruption allegation in June last year.
Former Prosecutor General Lim was found guilty in the first trial on August 1 last year and sentenced to two years in prison with a three-year probation. He was also ordered to forfeit 100 million won.


theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter