Yoon’s second-instance trial in case alleging he helped Jongseop Lee flee will follow the ‘6-3-3 principle’... Court says it will move swiftly

[Financial News] The appellate trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is accused of appointing former Defense Minister Jongseop Lee as ambassador to Australia to help him flee, has gotten underway in earnest. Lee had faced allegations of exerting pressure on the investigation into the death in the line of duty of Marine Chae Soo-geun. Yoon was acquitted in the first trial, but the case is now proceeding again following an appeal by the special counsel.
The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 10-1 (High Court Judges Lee Sang-ho, Lee Jae-shin and Lee Hye-ran) held the first preparatory hearing in the appeal on charges including aiding a fugitive to flee against Yoon and five others on the 19th. The panel said, “We will proceed swiftly in accordance with the principles set out in law. Although the first trial did not meet the six-month deadline, we will move as quickly as possible within the limits of what is feasible.”
The Special Counsel Act stipulates the so-called “6-3-3 principle,” under which cases indicted by a special counsel must be handled within six months at the first-instance level, three months at the second-instance level and three months at the third-instance level. The rule is advisory rather than mandatory, and the ruling in the first trial in this case came nine months after the indictment.
The panel concluded the day’s hearing after setting the second preparatory hearing for 10 a.m. on the 16th of next month.
Yoon was indicted by the special counsel team on charges of issuing improper instructions during Lee’s departure from and return to the country, after appointing him ambassador to Australia to help him flee. Lee had been under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials as a suspect in the alleged pressure on the probe into a Marine’s death.
The first-instance court acquitted all six defendants, including Yoon, former National Security Office Chief Cho Tae-yong, former Justice Minister Park Seong-jae, former presidential office secretary Lee Si-won, former National Security Office Chief Jang Ho-jin and former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung.
The first-instance court said, “After President Yoon’s instruction to appoint Lee as ambassador was issued, the subsequent procedures were underway when Lee was placed under an exit ban at the request of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials,” adding, “Lee was then appointed ambassador. It was only after the appointment that officials learned of the exit ban and shared that information.” The court’s view was that Yoon had not known about the exit ban when he appointed Lee as ambassador.
[email protected] Lee Chang-hoon Reporter