Han Dong-hoon Fails to Appear at Four Consecutive Pretrial Witness Examinations... Summoned Again for July 5

[Financial News] Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, has failed to appear at four consecutive pretrial witness examinations requested by the Special Prosecutor Team for Insurrection and Treason, led by Cho Eun-seok. At the request of the special prosecutor, the court has rescheduled the next session for July 5 and decided to summon Han again.
According to the legal community on the 10th, Jeon Eun-jin, a single-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 31, convened a witness examination for Han at 2 p.m. that day. The session aimed to hear Han’s testimony regarding suspicions that Choo Kyung-ho, former floor leader of the People Power Party, obstructed the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea’s vote to lift martial law.
Han once again failed to appear. He has now missed four consecutive court dates, including those on September 23, October 2, and October 23. As a result, the court set the next hearing for 2 p.m. on July 5.
The special prosecutor’s team stated, "Although an arrest warrant has been requested for the suspect, Choo Kyung-ho, the investigation is still ongoing," adding, "There has been no significant change in the need for witness examination, so we maintain that it is necessary to hear testimony, whether through reference interviews or witness examinations."
They further requested, "Due to the witness’s absence, please reschedule the next examination date," and added, "As the special prosecutor’s investigation period was recently extended for the last time and may continue until mid-next month, we hope proceedings will follow the Criminal Procedure Act."
The court responded, "We also attempted service through a bailiff, but there was continued 'absence due to closed door,'" and asked the special prosecutor’s team to submit their opinion again on whether to proceed with the case if the examination cannot be conducted within the investigation period. 'Absence due to closed door' refers to a situation where the recipient is not present at the address and documents cannot be delivered because the door is closed.
Previously, on the 3rd, the special prosecutor’s team requested an arrest warrant for Choo Kyung-ho. The team believes Han Dong-hoon is well-acquainted with the People Power Party’s internal process and decision-making structure regarding the vote to lift martial law at the time, and since he mentioned related matters in his book, his testimony is necessary to clarify the facts.
scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter